Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:01]
A
You know the words that dominate our news cycle? Private equity keeps inventing. But do you truly understand how they impact your world and your wallet? In a world that skims the what? Understand the why. Because context changes everything. Subscribe to Learn more@Bloomberg.com the global benchmark for business news. I want this particular podcast to stand as a personal legacy statement for me. I believe that we're about to see things in this country that I've never seen in my lifetime. And I hate to say that, and I hate what I believe is about to happen. But we need to talk about it and we need to understand why it's happening. And we have to get people who care, like you thinking about where they want to be and what they want to make their stand on. But most importantly, how things are about to get worse in America. Chris Cuomo here. Welcome to the Chris Cuomo Project. We're about to see more violence as a reflection of our politics. Directionally, there is too much energy focused on worse. The outrage has won. It has blinded the ambitions for better it has taken. You know, Shakespeare had a line that is just brilliant. Have you eaten on the insane route that takes reason prisoner? Yes, we have. Now who's we? The probably not you, but those who have been co opted by fringe fascinations in politics now generated by AI the outrage machine. Division for dollars. It's what builds up the podcast. It's what gets you a comic like Dave Smith who is just driving division about Israel. Why? Because it works for him. And he'll like his best basis of any argument other than just sounding like a petulant kid who needs a slap is did you see this one? And that's supposed to put him on par with people who have lived realities and understand context. Why? Because outrage is the ultimate commodity, not his intelligence. Cleverness is enough. Not real cogency. This is where we are, whether it's Rogan. You know, you guys keep having the same problem with all these people. I feel like this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. She doesn't really know what she's talking about. Why is she getting so much attention? Because the commodity is not cogency. It's not being coherent, it's not being intelligent. It's being loud and angry and entertaining, frankly. And that's what's winning. And it's driving us towards the cheap. What's cheap? Outrage, Anger, Insults instead of insights. Right. That's why I say insults have become a proxy for insight. I don't have something smart that's Gonna help you understand something better. It's just gonna make you hate people who think differently than you a little bit more. And we're seeing it now all over. Why? Because I believe that those who oppose what's happening in this administration and frankly in this country see a muscularity in being like what they oppose. I think you misunderstand or people who are feeling this way misunderstand what beat them, what they lost to. I don't think they lost to harshness. I don't think they lost to the majority believing that this is a better way to be. It's desperation, it's disaffection, and it's wanting to just tear it all down. Right. We are having a collective moment that is tantamount to when you throw your phone at the TV or against the wall when you punch a wall. I mean, if you think about that as a metaphor, which is also a real action that people have done. Right. Why would you punch a wall? Think about it. Is anything going to be better from that? No, you're just going to feel pain. Right. And depending on how you punch, have to fix a wall so nothing is made better. What is the satisfaction in that? That there's been a venting of the outrage. And sometimes that can approximate a catharsis, but that is not really satisfying. And that's where we are. That's where the expression comes from. Banging your head against the wall. Why? Because that's where resistance takes you. That's why I always say resistance is not enough. Persistence on a different goal to get you to a different place is what's needed, but that's harder. Right. And this is easier to get you at a place where you're willing to bang your head against the wall to punch the wall to do something that's just an explosion of your anger and frustration is easier than having you channel it into getting it to a better place. That's why our politics has become what it is and it's going to get worse. The reason I'm harping on a few people who are desperate for attention telling you that you should arm yourself against ICE is because that is a surrendering to the stupid that is becoming what you say you oppose. And I'm not being highbrow. Okay. And I'm not saying that you are wrong to be about ice. Nobody has said it more deeply than I say it on a regular basis. ICE is acting under color of authority very often because if you're not in the country legally, they are legally allowed to arrest you. I don't believe that everyone who's in this country illegally is the same. In fact, I know they're not. The majority of people who are here illegally came in the wrong way, but have done everything right since they've gotten here. And they matter to communities. Their kids matter to communities, their jobs, their work effort, their taxes matter to communities. And what really matters is how ICE has decided to do its job, or really how the president has empowered ICE to do its job. I do not blame the men and women. In some cases I do. In some cases, they've abused their authority and they're acting in a way that is wrong and, frankly, illegal. But the masks, it's not what matters most to me. Why? Because I get the fear of doxxing. I get that it's not just a gestapo, but they should be operating openly under color of authority, which means they gotta have a badge and a number. Okay, you can find an accommodation. So you can't figure out who they are that easily so that you can dox them and threaten their families. Okay, that's wrong. Two, right? And that's kind of the problem. We're in two wrongs make a right mode all the time, which is a bullshit thing, because it doesn't make a right. And that's why we're stuck in just wrong versus wrong now. So what matters, and where should the focus be? Well, not on buying a gun and waiting for ICE to come, because who are you in that scenario? Let's say you're a citizen who believes that this is an effort to take real citizens and legal citizens and throw them out of the country. I don't believe that's what it's. But even if it were, where is that going to get you? When in American history has anything gotten better? When you decide to shoot police officers. And that's how absurd it is to me. I get that there's some kind of perverse sense of satisfaction in fighting back. I get it. I want to fight back. I think I'm fighting back on a regular basis, even though you people think I'm becoming what I actually oppose, which, all right, you're free to feel that I think it's. And that's okay. That's kind of the state of play. And I accept that because that's what I signed up for. But, but. But in terms of how things get better and how you fight back against what's wrong, that's about policy. That's about lawsuits. And I know that's boring and not as sexy as saying, buy a gun, but you do see the irony in that, right? You want more gun control. You sound like MAGA people. We have the second Amendment so I can fight back against a tyrannical government. You used to think that was absurd and stupid, but now you're just as angry as they were when they said it. And now it sounds a little bit better to you. And I'm here to check that because that's not how we get to a better place. You're becoming what you used to mock, okay? And you were right to mock it. Support comes from AG1, okay? AG1 helps you stay. One scoop of head, you know, I use it every day. I'm one and done. I put a scoop in some warm water, I drink it. I know I'm getting all of what I need to give myself a chance to increase my wellness, all right? And this is the time of year where you really got to be on your game, because this is when people start getting sick. And I'm traveling around a lot. And you got the airports and the people and the handshakes and all that. You need the antioxidants, the probiotics, the functional mushrooms, the immune support, right? And you're losing your circadian rhythm. You get in the darkness, you need the vitamin D. You know, everything now matters more, right? And we're not taking care of ourselves as well, especially around the holidays. That's why AG1 becomes so important for me in the morning. One and done. They're also now part of my nighttime ritual because they have their own formula for helping you go to sleep that uses the same scientific research, the same combination of things that helps your body absorb it. That's the key with AG1. You can spend a lot more and get a lot more bottles and take a lot more pills, but you will not have the balance, right? To help your body absor in the amounts and the combinations that work best, okay? That's why I use AG1, because of the science. Head to drinkag1.com CCP and get a free welcome kit with an AG1 flavor sampler and a bottle of vitamin D3K2 when you subscribe. That's drinkag1.com CCP now here's an interesting turn in a really fucked up way. These calls to arm yourself against ice, which I oppose, could actually be the best chance to get gun control legislation in America. You may get a whole new set of allies that you never expected in that cause. How history suggests that this could be true. How? Look back at the 60s. There was a period in our history where resistance among racial minorities was manifested in the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers made a call that because of policing and state action against protest in those communities, rightly or wrongly should be countered by arming yourselves. Get the right certification, get the license, get the gun, learn how to use it and be ready. Cop. Watch. Google it. Community oriented policing. This was in the 60s. Every black and brown man should have a gun, know how to use it and be ready to use it if the state comes and violates your rights. It was scary to the police, it was scary to the politicians. It was scary to white America and a little bit of minority America. How much? I don't know. We never really looked at it that way. I wasn't even alive. But what happened in reaction formation to it? The Black Panthers were operating heavily in California and the state of California. In response to them calling for all legal things. Get the license, get the weapon, learn how to use it and get ready if a tyrannical government comes your way. Same shit that you're hearing right now. And there's probably some sex appeal to that. Many romanticized the Black Panthers. I didn't. My study of them quickly reveals that they were as corrupt as anything and that they were co opting a righteous indignation wrongfully. That's my take. You can have your own. But what happened? California did something called the Mulford Act. You mean the Mulford Sons. I hate that song. I love that song. No, look it up. The governor at the time was a man who would become very relevant in national politics named Governor Ronald Reagan. And he passed a law right quickly that said, well, you can't have open carry laws in California. You can't openly carry a weapon on our streets in our community. I mean, what. Where are we? Where are we living? We're supposed to be civilized. How fucking ironic. Right? The. The man who is the saint of the MAGA movement. Right. Although that's kind of changing as they become a more kind of version of themselves. But he was like the man for Republicans. He was the gold standard. Right. He was against open carry. And everybody was with him on the right against the left. Why? Because they were scared. They were scared of what it could mean for them. Gun control was owned by the right in that period. And I think that there is an opportunity for that kind of reaction formation once again. I just hope we don't see it. Why? I argue all the time that we still have way too many guns getting into the wrong hands. I agree. That is a big problem. It's certainly a problem with the only shootings that you seem to care about, which are the school shootings, slash mass shootings. Why? Because those shootings are overrepresented by people who should have never had the weapon. Because they are dealing with things mentally, emotionally, physically that make them impossible of operating within a civil society. And we see it again and again and again. The same formula, undiagnosed or untreated. Mental illness, isolation, judgment, access to weapons, a perverse reverse sense of vengeance, suicide, homicide, psychology. Boom. The innocent pay, families are destroyed, and we all get angry and do nothing. But that may change. You get people who arm and then encounter and violently oppose ice. You may see new gun laws in this country. I hope that's not how it happens. I hope that's not the price that we have to pay. I am not advocating for it in any way, no matter how people twist this. But ironically, I think that's what's about to happen and. Or could happen. But I say that probable more than possible. Okay? And I don't like it and I don't want to see it, but I am worried that there is way. When you look at my comment section and you realize how shy people are to openly oppose this type of rhetoric that. Look, I get the emotion, but I'm not going to second that emotion. Second that emotion. You didn't know I had it like that, did you? So hablas espanol Spritz du dzoits. If you used babbel, you would. Babbel's conversation based techniques teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world. With lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers. Babbel is like having a private tutor in your pocket. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription right now at babbel.com Spotify spelled B A B B E L.com Spotify rules and restrictions may apply. The best hope for an antidote to what I believe is coming this way, which is more violence. Oh, and here's my other aha moment for you on this. Chris Moynihan. Who is Chris Moynihan? You don't know? You're tapping on the keyboard right now. Who's he talking about? Chris Moynihan. Chris Moynihan was arrested and convicted for what he did on January 6. An angry young white man. He went to prison. He was pardoned. He shouldn't have been, but that's A choice of the President. Then what did he do? He went back to exactly what he was, which is a hateful, confused, stupid young man. And he just threatened to kill the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, and was arrested by federal authorities for making a terroristic threat. You don't know who he is. It has gotten almost no attention. Why? Because the right doesn't want to talk about it. Mike Johnson put out the worst statement he could have. In my opinion, he would have been better off saying, good for him, because at least it would give us something to reject. We denounce any violence, this bullshit, perfunctory, soulless statement because he doesn't really give a shit. And he just as quickly pivoted to blaming the left for generating these same things. Why? Because this is what you reward. Which side is worse? Mr. I'm gonna lead by the Bible bullshit. You're going to lead by advantage in the opposite of what Jesus would do. Because Christians are hypocrites just like everybody else can be. And you don't even know his name because the media doesn't really give a shit because he didn't make good on the threat. But I'll tell you what, he is emblematic of where we're headed. There are more and more of these guys, disenfranchised young white brown men who don't see anything better and see violence as a legitimate end of their protest. And I see more of it coming in part because we're ignoring it, in part because we're not offering anything better. And I think that it is also an interesting instruction of another argument that we're having in our society right now about speech. That is the line, and we know this as recently as 2015, I think the relevant case law was 2003 or 2015, making this point about where speech becomes action without action. Okay, Meaning actionable. Meaning what? When you make a threat that is specific enough to reasonably be taken serious by the target, and it seems motivated by intimidating that person when he said, hakeem Jeffries is going to be at this place doing this thing and I'm going to kill him because I have to do that for the future. That is enough. And he was arrested and charged, and he should be. Oh, but it's just an idea. We don't punish ideas. There is a line in the law still. It is a very generous line. It allows a lot to say, look, I think someone should take them out. Doesn't trigger the line, you know, if I were in a different play I'd tell you I would do it myself. Doesn't trigger the line, he should die. Doesn't trigger the line, I'm going to go kill him. Can if. When investigators look at it, it seems like you meant it. And this guy, with his history, he meant it. Because January 6th was not a protest. It was a riot. It was bad. And the irony, the hypocrisy, the bullshit of comparing it to no Kings. No Kings was the single biggest day of protest in American history. January 6th was nowhere near that kind of metric. And there was no violence associated with no Kings, because it's the majority caring about their country and not just conflict. And that's why it got ignored, and that's why it hasn't gotten the traction, because it doesn't play into the division. And January 6th was a fucking riot in the planning and a riot in the execution. And it was disgusting. And the fact that there are people on the right who don't want to hear that anymore. You, too. Because you're not about better. You're just a battle of which side is worse. And I'm telling you, you're all going to be very satisfied if that's what you want. Because there's more to come. And I hate saying it, and I hate that I can't stop it. And I hate that I seem to be somehow, in the minds of some of you, contributing to it. I am someone who has chosen violence in their own life. I am someone who trains about how to stop violence in my own life for decades. And I take it very seriously. And I see what's going to happen. I would never want to resort to violence to make a point. Never have I in my life. Yeah. And I've paid for it. And it was stupid. And I hope that my kids are better. And so far, thank God, they are. And I hope that we're better also. And so far we're not. Because every time something violent happens, one side, if not both, seems to make less of it than what it really is. And that was true when Trump was shot. It was true when Charlie Kirk was shot. And it was true when someone threatened to hurt Hakeem Jeffries. To kill Hakeem Jeffries. Good man. Good heart, good future. Do I agree with everything he does? No. Do I like that he won't come on my show? No. Would I ever want to see anything happen to him? No. Would I defend him if I could? Yes. Why? Because I'm a human being. Because I care about our country and humanity. And I think that that's a precious commodity these days and we're going to see worse. And perversely, like with many things, it may lead us to something better. I don't think it will, not as a violent end, and it's certainly not worth what it would cost us. But if you want to see gun legislation in this country, keep telling people to arm up against ICE and you're going to start having some unconventional allies. But man, is it not worth it. We gotta do better than this and I hope we do. Support comes from Shopify and I'll tell you why. When I started the podcast, I was trying to figure all this out on my own. Scripts, setup, filming schedule, logos, what kind of merch, how do I get people interested in it? It was totally overwhelming. And then I learned something. When you find a successful business, you know what, you find a business behind that business and that is Shopify. If you want to find a way to get people to find what you're about and to not only look, but to stay and to buy, you need Shopify. Finding the right tool that not only helps you, but simplifies everything is a game changer. That's why millions of businesses use Shopify. Okay? 10% of all E commerce in the U.S. right? Mattel, Gymshark, you know all kinds and startups, okay? You can get your own design studio, hundreds of ready to use templates, and you can even develop your own brand style. With their help, human and AI, you can accelerate content creation. They've got all kinds of tools for you. Product descriptions, page headlines, enhancing photography. You get the word out like you have a marketing team, okay? Email, social media, campaigns, all of it. Best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert. World class expertise in everything. Managing inventory, shipping, processing, returns, all of it. If you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Your big business into Ka Ching Shopify on your side. Sign up for your $1 a month trial and start selling today at shopify.com Chris C. Go to shopify.com Chris C. Where shopify.com Chris C. Now, do I want to be wrong about things getting worse? Of course. But I also have to be straight with you about it. Because that's the value of the podcast is that if you're a critical thinker and a free agent and an independent, you want the perspectives and then you balance way and value as you see fit, not as somebody's telling you to or not out of fealty to some group. So if we continue down this road of which is worse and who's more angry and what you're going to do about it. What does that mean in terms of shaping us up for the next presidential cycle? Right. Which is like right around the corner because once you start talking about the midterms, the whole focus of talking about the midterms is what as a projection of power into the general. Right. Why? Because that's what we do is feed the eternal quest for more of what's next. What's next, what's next. And then part of that is the exigency of news, the new and news. But part of it is also what's poisoning our politics that we're not about fixing. We're just about advantage of one side over the other. And that's why I like to partner with my partner Kelshi. Why? Great way of looking at the state of play in our society by not just musings on social media but people willing to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to politics. So as of right now, looking at the Kalshi markets, they're making a market in the Democratic presidential nominee which is actually more important, not more important, more interesting to me than who's gonna be the next president. Why? Because how each party handles the pursu is more meaningful to me about than where we're actually going to be someday. Now right now the most money by percentage is on Gavin Newsom. Why he's had a resurgence by shit talking Trump. Now again I recognize that. I see it, I guess there is value in that. It concerns me about his strength as a candidate because I believe like he's doing something that's cheap and obvious and I get that. That's because that's what he has to do to get the attention. But I leader is supposed to be more than that. So I get why he's leading the field right now. He's definitely getting the most attention and this is an attention economy on several levels. The other two players I think is interesting. Pete Buttigieg. I think there's zero chance it's Pete Buttigieg. So even at 6% I'd be a seller on that. Why? He just doesn't check enough boxes of what works for the majority in my opinion. But I could be wrong and I'm not against him. I think he's smart and compelling and represents an American success story on a lot of levels. AOC, tons of charisma, only 10%. I'm actually surprised by that. Why? And I'm also actually surprised that Josh Shapiro isn't in here. But AOC is wildly charismatic, has a huge following. And whether I like the basis for that following or not, it is what it is, right? Which is she's legit, gets a ton of attention. Gets a ton of attention from the opposition. How do I think she would hold up when she has money put against her for the first time and that kind of scrutiny? Not well. Do I think she could beat Gavin Newsom? Not as politician versus politician. I think he's much better at it than she is. But that's not always what wins. So this is interesting. I would also buy her as a proposition. I would sell Buttigieg. I would buy Ocasio. I think she's going to go up in the numbers unless she grossly misplays her hand between now and the next real moment of measurement. And Newsom. Yeah, you got to have them in there. I think that the Democrats best. This is funny, but I actually think that their best chance is unknown, not in this representative field that we just had put in the markets. That's my guess. Why? Because what is known is not enough in terms of the known field at this moment. And I think that there's going to be a moment. I think message and moment make the messenger. I think that Trump was capitalizing on a moment. And even if that's not true and it was him and he made the moment, it would still be the exception to the rule. Now, speaking of the president, another Kalshee market being made in whether Trump will be allowed to run for a third term. The idea that there is any yes on this is so, so sad. And it is such an acknowledgment of the level of cynicism in our society because there are multiple constitutional hurdles to that ever happening. And so it's sad that it's at 12% that there's a 10% chance. 12 cents right now. I absolutely take that bet and play against that 12%. Go in really, really deep, because the percentage is going to have to. Actually, let me change my analysis twice. Okay. First, that's going to go up in value, that bet, because of our politics, not because of the reality, not because of the truth, but because of the perception. Take this bet and bet yes. Bet yes. And here's why, by the way, I'm going to probably have to come up with some disclaimer language. I do say it almost every time, but I'm not great at betting on things. I don't believe in the value of chance that way. And presuming on chance. And I suck at this. I'm not a great political prognosticator. I am an analyst, but very different things. So if you bet on the way I'm telling you to and you lose, I don't want to hear about it. And I can't be held legally responsible because I'm telling you now as a point of disclaimer, listening to me as that kind of advisor is stupid. Now, that said, people are going to keep talking about how he can run again. So it's only going to go up in value. I don't think we've reached the peak of that. However, zero chance that he is allowed to run for a third term. Zero chance. So the idea that this bet is at 90 cents. No. It should be at 99.9 cents. No. Because that's the way it's gonna wind up. Now, what that does in terms of you making a market, that's up to you. If this 22nd amendment is repealed or if the supreme court reinterprets the 22nd Amendment. What about the 12th Amendment? I mean, you know why? Because the sneaky idea about how to get him in there is to have him run as JD Vance's VP and then when he wins, he takes over and JD Vance steps aside. Like, who the fuck would do that? But if that's the plan, well, what's the bar there? The 12th Amendment. Why? To be eligible to be vice president, you have to be eligible to be president. And how Trump eligible to be president if he's been elected to two to two terms, that would violate the 22nd Amendment. So you would actually, to do it that way, you'd have to get rid of two amendments. And the other way, you're not getting rid of any amendment. Why? Do you know how, do you know how to get rid of an amendment? You need a super majority in each house of Congress and then you need a super, super majority of 3 out of 4 of the states to approve it. It's never going to happen. I don't think we could get a constitutional amendment on what our name is as a country. I don't, I don't think we'd agree on America. There are too many blue states who'd say, Amerigo Vespucci, oh, he was a bad person. So I don't think it happens, but I don't think anything happens because there is no power, there's no currency and consensus right now. Now what if the Supreme Court reinterprets it? How? I don't know how they could in any way that would make any kind of sense. No, matter how partisan a court they are. I take the other side of this bet all day long. But whoever said I'm the smart money? Not me, not Kalshee. But are you willing to put your money where your mouth is? Look at Kalshee. Because that is the best bet in politics. All right my brothers and sisters, I appreciate you being here, subscribing and following checking me out on News Nation at 8p and 11p every weekday night. And there are a lot of problems. I do believe that we are not on the right part of the curve of making any of them better. But that's all the more reason that if you care, if you dare to care in this environment where, you know, antipathy is the norm and really apathy is like the best self protection you can think of. But if you're willing to dare to put yourself out there and to try to be part of a solution and to create consensus and to be reasonable and to be better, I'm here for it. So let's get after it. Sam.