What’s REALLY Behind the Texas Walkouts

Summary

Detailed Summary of "What’s REALLY Behind the Texas Walkouts"
The Chris Cuomo Project – Episode Released August 7, 2025

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Introduction: The Midterm Focus
Timestamp: [00:30]

Chris Cuomo sets the stage by emphasizing that the current political landscape is entirely centered around the upcoming midterm elections. He asserts, “The midterms. It's all about the midterms. That's what everything you see happening within the Trump administration and everything that the Democrats are trying, trying right now to get traction is about.” This establishes the episode’s primary focus on how both parties are maneuvering to influence midterm outcomes.

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Political Polarization and Strategy
Timestamp: [00:30 – 03:42]

Cuomo discusses the deepening political divide, highlighting how both the right and the left are leveraging populist sentiments to gain traction. He notes, “Meaning an angry populist movement that is pissed off about real things... but the remedies and the rationale is where it gets dicey on the right.” Cuomo contrasts the MAGA movement with the Democrats’ approaches, pointing out that while both address genuine concerns like affordability and economic disparity, their solutions often diverge dramatically, veering into areas like socialism and Islamism on the left.

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Introducing Amrish and Prediction Markets
Timestamp: [03:42 – 07:14]

Chris introduces Amrish, the show's engineer, in a humorous exchange before shifting the conversation to the role of prediction markets in politics. Partnering with Kalshee, a prominent US prediction market maker, Cuomo expresses his skepticism about sports betting's societal impacts but acknowledges its utility in forecasting political events. He remarks, “Odds makers are ridiculously accurate compared to polls, compared to political pundits,” highlighting the potential of these markets to provide insightful data on political trends.

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Texas House Democrats' Walkouts and Gerrymandering
Timestamp: [07:14 – 12:07]

The discussion turns to a critical political maneuver: Texas House Democrats contemplating walkouts to disrupt redistricting efforts. Amrish mentions the fluctuating probability of a Democrat being arrested, describing the story as “dramatic but insanely boring” due to its technical focus on gerrymandering. Chris elaborates, “What they're betting on, right, is whether Democrats to stall the vote on the districting because they don't have enough votes to control the outcome,” underscoring the strategic depth behind the walkouts aimed at preserving Democratic influence in congressional districts.

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Legal and Political Implications
Timestamp: [12:07 – 17:10]

Cuomo and Amrish delve deeper into the legality and ethics of the Democrats’ tactics. Comparing the situation to a “full court press” in basketball—a highly aggressive and unusual strategy—Cuomo questions the fairness and long-term impact of such maneuvers. He states, “This is a huge scam as far as I'm concerned,” criticizing the Democrats’ approach to manipulating the electoral process through walkouts and questioning whether these actions undermine democratic principles or merely represent a tactical chess move in the larger political game.

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Trump’s Firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Head
Timestamp: [28:21 – 34:50]

After a series of advertisements, the conversation resumes with a focus on former President Trump’s recent decision to fire Erica McKenta, head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following a contentious July jobs report. Cuomo interprets this move as a strategic attempt to erode trust in government data: “He wants you not to trust. Distrust works for Trump because all he wants you to listen to is him.” He argues that by undermining reputable institutions, Trump fosters a culture of skepticism that benefits his political narrative.

Amrish adds, “When you need people to believe things, they may not believe him because he's told them and reinforced the idea that they should believe nothing,” suggesting that Trump’s tactics may ultimately backfire by reducing overall public trust, even in his own statements.

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Economic Predictions and Market Behavior
Timestamp: [21:53 – 29:38]

Analyzing prediction market data, Cuomo and Amrish discuss forecasts for the U.S. economy by the end of 2025. A significant 79% of respondents believe in a “soft landing” with low unemployment and low inflation. Cuomo muses, “But if I'm gonna bet, I'd bet on high inflation, not high unemployment,” indicating a nuanced view of economic resilience amid political turbulence. They explore how Trump’s unpredictable actions, such as threatening to fire Jerome Powell, impact market stability and economic expectations.

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Trump’s Believability and Misinformation
Timestamp: [29:38 – 34:50]

The conversation shifts to the broader implications of Trump’s narrative strategies on public trust. Cuomo remarks, “He may get hoisted on his own petard, which is that when he needs people to believe things, they may not believe him,” suggesting that Trump’s promotion of distrust may ultimately erode his own credibility. They discuss the entanglement of Trump with various scandals, including Jeffrey Epstein, and how these incidents compound the public’s skepticism.

Amrish adds context by reflecting on Trump’s portrayal in media and public appearances, noting the low believability index and how it hampers effective communication of his policies and messages.

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Conclusion: The Importance of Accurate Information
Timestamp: [34:50 – End]

Cuomo wraps up the episode by stressing the necessity of dependable information in countering political distractions and manipulations. He advocates for the perseverance of factual reporting and the role of independent media in holding power accountable. Cuomo encourages listeners to stay engaged and informed, underscoring that “information matters” in preserving democratic integrity.

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Notable Quotes:

• “The midterms. It's all about the midterms.”
  [00:30]

• “Odds makers are ridiculously accurate compared to polls, compared to political pundits.”
  [06:02]

• “This is a huge scam as far as I'm concerned.”
  [12:07]

• “He wants you not to trust. Distrust works for Trump because all he wants you to listen to is him.”
  [21:37]

• “He may get hoisted on his own petard, which is that when he needs people to believe things, they may not believe him.”
  [32:13]

---

Key Insights:

• Midterm Strategy: Both political parties are intensely focused on the midterms, utilizing populist strategies to galvanize their bases and influence voter sentiment.

• Prediction Markets: The integration of prediction markets like Kalshee offers a novel lens to gauge public opinion and potential election outcomes, surpassing traditional polling methods in accuracy.

• Texas Democrats’ Tactics: The Texas House Democrats’ walkouts are a strategic move to disrupt redistricting, reflecting broader themes of political maneuvering and the exploitation of legislative rules.

• Undermining Trust: Trump’s actions, particularly the firing of the BLS head, represent a deliberate effort to sow distrust in governmental institutions and data, aligning with his broader narrative strategies.

• Economic Forecasts: Despite political instability, market predictions point towards a favorable economic outlook, though concerns about inflation and unemployment persist.

• Credibility Crisis: Trump’s repeated undermining of trust and association with scandals contribute to a declining believability, which could have long-term implications for his political influence.

---

Conclusion:

In this episode, Chris Cuomo provides a comprehensive analysis of the current political maneuvers leading up to the midterms, with a particular focus on the Texas House Democrats' walkouts and Trump's strategies to undermine institutional trust. By incorporating insights from prediction markets and delving into the ramifications of political tactics, Cuomo offers listeners a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between politics, media, and public trust. The episode underscores the critical importance of accurate information and the challenges posed by political strategies aimed at disrupting established norms and trust in democratic institutions.

Transcript

[Kristen Bell]

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.

[Chris Cuomo]

We're really doing this, huh?

[Kristen Bell]

Thankfully, Carvana makes it easy. Answer a few questions, put in your van or license and done. We sold ours in minutes this morning and they'll come pick it up and pay us this afternoon.

[Chris Cuomo]

Bye bye truckee.

[Kristen Bell]

Of course, we kept the favorite.

[Chris Cuomo]

Hello, other truckee.

[Kristen Bell]

Sell your car with Carvana today. Terms and conditions apply.

[Chris Cuomo]

Everything that's going on in our politics right now is actually geared to one goal. Do you know what that is? Cuz I'm about to tell you. I'm Chris Cuomo. Welcome to the Chris Cuomo Project. The midterms. It's all about the midterms. That's what everything you see happening within the Trump administration and everything that the Democrats are trying, trying right now to get traction is about. The midterms. The Democrats are making a bet that what beat them is now what they will use to beat what beat them. Meaning an angry populist movement that is pissed off about real things, okay? Affordability, the yawning chasm between those who have too much and those who don't have enough. And how the practices of success in our society are getting very, very hard to access. Okay? That's all real, just as it was with maga. Okay? But the remedies and the rationale is where it gets dicey on the right. We know that whole story of what the plus minus is on maga, but we're seeing that on the left. Socialism, really, embracing Islamism and far left radical agendas. Really? So you really are going to prove the MAGA people right with their white replacement theory, which I don't believe at all. But now you're going to give a suggestion of that by taking the Palestinian side over the American and the Israeli side or Iran or any of these fractious issues. So what matters? I'm telling you, it's all about the midterms. But here's the weird thing. What we're obsessed with right now is nothing that traditionally midterms have been about. Why do presidents usually get beat up in their first midterm after they're elected? Cuz it's usually a referendum on the state of play that they were lying about to get elected and now they got to own it. The status quo, right? So when you look at what your top issues are, economy, health care, crime, safety, right? Education. And then four deep, you start to get into what I call the Culture wars, reproductive rights. Okay. Immigration. There's a security issue to that also, but there's also a culture war issue to it in terms of how you discuss it. Right? Then there's all the presidential power, presidential approval, election security, all that stuff that is really more hype than it is anything that is productive. So what will make a difference in the midterms, because that's what everybody's calling for right now, is to find their way to the midterms, to where they can get more power or keep the power they have in the case of maga. So it brought me into a new frame of mind where I have decided to broaden the circle and to have this conversation, I need Greg. And a very rarely discussed resource here at the Chris Cuomo Project. Amrish, our editor, Music editor.

[Amrish]

Not our editor. He doesn't know anything.

[Chris Cuomo]

Well, he edits here. He's our sound.

[Amrish]

He's the engineer.

[Chris Cuomo]

He's the engineer.

[Amrish]

The editor.

[Chris Cuomo]

He's the engineer.

[Amrish]

Very clear.

[Chris Cuomo]

He's the engineer.

[Amrish]

He's the engineer. He has not edited.

[Chris Cuomo]

The editor is somebody else. It's not.

[Amrish]

He could.

[Chris Cuomo]

It's not his fault. That thing that you guys all told me about a couple of weeks ago when he was the edit in there, it's not Amber Marsh's fault, but he is the guy who makes sure that we are able to be seen and heard and that everything works well. He does it with music. He does it here. He's a very interesting guy, and he's got an interesting look at the world as a young dude. So I have two young dudes in me about what is working right now on us in politics. Because, see, that's what I see it as. I see it as all manufactured, all manipulative. I don't even think it's organic, to be honest. And we have an interesting way to get at it today. I want to get their take on what matters and why. But we also have Kelshi, okay, Who's partnering with us, the largest US prediction market maker, okay? And we're going to see what's resonating with betters. And let me tell you why I'm into this, which I haven't been. I am anti sports betting, okay? I think it has ruined my son and his generation.

[Amrish]

Oh, is he in trouble?

[Chris Cuomo]

They are, thank God. No, but he could be, because they did a very clever thing, these people. And I bet amorous, you got buddies who are into this, too. A little different for you because you're in the family way now, so money matters. Different Bet?

[Amrish]

What are you talking about?

[Chris Cuomo]

Money matters differently. I'm sure your wife would love you blowing a few hundred dollars on a football game.

[Amrish]

If I had like an in, she'd love it.

[Chris Cuomo]

That's the point.

[Amrish]

If I go down to the horse with the dog track and it's like, hey, somebody said, you know, she's the fastest is going to win, you know, I'll put some.

[Chris Cuomo]

You hipsty hipster people in Brooklyn, you don't go to the dog track. You, like, want them all same.

[Amrish]

Actually. No, her dad is a big horse. Better. So we went to the Aqueduct last time he was in, and I think we went on a weekday. And that is not that it was like a Thursday afternoon.

[Chris Cuomo]

That is not the Society.

[Amrish]

No, I mean, these are the professional gamblers, you know, I mean, but, you.

[Chris Cuomo]

Know, it's not like a professional gambler.

[Amrish]

Well, the Aqua, you know, the other was there many years ago. At the Aqueduct.

[Chris Cuomo]

Yes.

[Amrish]

Yeah.

[Chris Cuomo]

Other than, other than poker, there is no, you know, it's, it's chance. Okay. And poker is also. But you, you can really play with chance. With poker, other things, it's very hard. However, they made sport betting feel like gaming.

[Amrish]

Yeah.

[Chris Cuomo]

And that vibe has been very sticky for my son. So now everybody's betting on everything. Used to not be able to touch politics, but now Kalshee and all these secondary market makers and market reflectors can make a market in whatever they want.

[Amrish]

Well, amateur's looking at prop bets all the time.

[Chris Cuomo]

All the time. And we are now getting to see a new metric that I think is pretty, pretty viable. And I'll tell you why. Odds makers are ridiculously accurate compared to pollst, compared to political pundits, you know, I mean, they're amazing how they get games to be so close. So they're showing an ability to handicap in politics also that I think is really cool. And I also think that it's really interesting about how different everybody in the market sees things than how I do, which is a good thing that I don't bet. So I'm outlining what usually matters in the midterms. What usually matters. But in terms of what's motivating our politics right now, there are things that are nowhere on the list. So what is like getting a lot of traction that people want to bet on, which is obviously a relevant way through Kalshee to see what people are into and what side they're on.

[Amrish]

So this is trending today big time. Will any Texas House Democrat be arrested this month with a nice little icon of Greg Paxton, right now there's a 17% chance. Earlier today, when I checked, there's about a 25% chance for, for those who may not be paying attention to this incredibly, it's dramatic but insanely boring story because it's about gerrymandering and drawing lines and stuff. Can you fill people in on the story?

[Chris Cuomo]

Listen, hold on. This is what it's about. Greg is right. Ish. Okay.

[Amrish]

Well, no, I'm, it's. I'm saying this boring in the sense of like it's incredibly important, but on the surface, cares about the lines.

[Chris Cuomo]

On the surface, it's about redistricting, but that's not what they're betting on. What they're betting on, right, is whether Democrats to stall the vote on the districting because they don't have enough votes to control the outcome. Remember, state legislatures set congressional districts, so Congress is decided by the states. That's why the Republicans were very smart in the 80s to start cultivating legislative seats in different states and governorships, if they could, because that's where you make the main rule that decides whether you win or not. Remember, you have 95% retention of incumbency. Why A lot of it's to do with the district. It's a huge scam as far as I'm concerned. But so the Democrats in Texas, to get away from the vote are thinking about leaving and not being available. And the governor said, I will come and find you and arrest you for not holding the vote.

[Amrish]

Right. And today when the 25% thing was spiking, he put out a thing like he's trying to get the FBI involved to actually go after these guys. So trying to involve like the federal officials for the state officials. And they're taking up like safe harbor and like very blue states like Illinois and New York, where as somebody with family in Texas, it's like, I don't think you actually need a reason to go. Go outside of Texas in the middle of August. It's like, go, go jump in Lake Michigan or something. Like, you can have a good weekend outside of Texas.

[Chris Cuomo]

I also am not sure I like the look of running away from your responsibility. They'll say, but we don't have the numbers. So we're gonna basically let them manipulate the system unless we do something extreme like running away. And I don't buy that. I think that you've got to. Elections matter, you know what I mean? Elections.

[Amrish]

This is also the state that is the home of Senator. I'm going to Cancun in the middle of any Major crisis. Like, okay, they're playing their little trick. They're like fleeing. But Ted Cruz is nowhere to be found anytime something is actually happening.

[Chris Cuomo]

Cruises was much more egregious than.

[Amrish]

Yeah, that's your point of 95 election. Like, this guy keeps getting elected no matter what, you know.

[Chris Cuomo]

Yeah. And they keep saying, oh, he's going to be really tested this time and Texas could go blue. And it like, never happens, by the way. Maybe on the local level you have a mix, but on the national level, it hasn't happened. So what do they say now about the likelihood that it's going to happen?

[Amrish]

Well, as we've been recording, it stayed at 17%, but there is this throbbing red dot. So it could go earlier today when that news came out about the FBI, it spiked to around 25. Now it's at 17.

[Chris Cuomo]

You think it happens? Would you bet on it?

[Amrish]

Would I bet on it? No, I don't. I think this is all a big game. I think, you know, there are these reports that came out that said it's actually a lot harder to actually arrest people and go through because there's this thing where Abbott's trying to, oh, okay, you're actually, you're all vacating your seats. You' going to be in the House anymore. But it's actually harder to do and it's going to take a really long time. So I think this is just going to stall out. And it's just a big, it's a big performance. But a lot of people are clamoring for performance. They want the Democrats to be performing. You know what I mean? Like Tal Rico, your boy who is on the show this Tuesday, he's one of the main guys who's going out there talking about this thing being.

[Chris Cuomo]

But he's not on the run.

[Amrish]

No, I thought he, he's, I thought all the Democrats are keeping him from having quorum.

[Chris Cuomo]

Right. But I don't think Talarico ran out of the state.

[Amrish]

Let me see where he goes. Google Rico.

[Chris Cuomo]

I'm thinking that Trump loves to, say, lock up his opponents so much, which is ironic given that the other narrative, another narrative that's going on right now is Russiagate. Now, he's a victim of lawfare, but he's always saying he wants to lock up his opponents. I could see somebody like Governor Abbott wanting to ingratiate himself and doing exactly that. MAGA would love it.

[Amrish]

Talarico is in Illinois. He's having a hot dog. You know, he's.

[Chris Cuomo]

Because of the vote?

[Amrish]

Yeah, because of the vote. He's one of the ones leading this whole thing.

[Greg]

Hot dog to vote ratio.

[Chris Cuomo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Amrish]

Hot dog to vote. What's the hot dog to vote in New York? You can get the one with the stewed onions.

[Chris Cuomo]

You know, I don't know. I don't know that I like that. I like James Talarico. I think he's certainly a leader of his generation and could be a future leader for all of us. But I don't like this move, man. I don't find something.

[Amrish]

Hundred dollars a day every day. They.

[Chris Cuomo]

I don't care about the fines, but I, I don't like ducking your job. You lost the elections. The numbers are what they are. Make the argument on the floor, on the record, and let people know where you stand. And then the votes go how they go.

[Amrish]

But the argument is that this type of redistricting that Texas is trying to do doesn't happen this often and this early. So they're trying to change the game by, you know, manipulating this stuff. So it's like, well, you guys are doing this thing, so we're going to do this thing.

[Chris Cuomo]

Like, why isn't it an analogy where. So this one team has decided to full court press all game long, which doesn't usually happen until the end of games, and they're doing that all game and you've decided to not get off the bench and you will not come after the, after the commercial break is over and the whistle is blown and you're supposed to come back out of the timeout. You won't do it.

[Amrish]

You know more than anyone here that I was a theater student. And so this type of analogy is very lost on me. Full court press means the whole team is going after some court press, means.

[Chris Cuomo]

That they play defense the whole way from when the ball gets inbounded. And that is a very aggressive thing to do. Nobody ever does it.

[Amrish]

It's legal, though, is basketball?

[Chris Cuomo]

Yes, it's legal, though. And so is this. This is legal to hold the vote right now.

[Amrish]

And basketball team in. Was it the Spurs?

[Chris Cuomo]

This is not going well.

[Amrish]

No, I was going to say he's trying.

[Greg]

He's trying.

[Amrish]

No. Yeah, the Spurs. That's the San Antonio team. Is that the only Texas basketball team?

[Chris Cuomo]

Yes.

[Amrish]

Yeah, I'm. This is not.

[Greg]

This is like having to explain the joke.

[Amrish]

Yeah. Like, I'm. The analogy is very lost on me because I've never done a full court press.

[Chris Cuomo]

Amrish, as somebody who is competent, why is this. This is not illegal. Illegal what they're doing, holding the vote like this is an aberration. That is not how it's usually done. They're changing the culture of this kind of change. But is it where them refusing to do the vote is turn about as fair play? Or does this play to you as the Democrats violating a rule that actually matters, which is not doing their job?

[Greg]

I think it more along the line, rather changing the game rather than trying to like, play rules. Because if you look at it over the course of a period of time, things really haven't changed all too much. The things people say and the topics they talk about, of course do, but like the general, like, tactics politicians use to do things, it's. It's more or less been the same since I was a kid.

[Chris Cuomo]

Yeah.

[Greg]

And. And with that in mind, when you see people doing new things, it's really just, are they actually doing anything new or are they just trying to change perspective? And it's either way. I feel you end up in a situation where people like us sit and contemplate and talk about it. But ultimately it's gonna just happen, like, regardless of if we feel it's illegal, not illegal. Shouldn't be done. Should be done because they're playing a game and we're, we're the people that, that watch essentially just like, you know, the sports reference you just made.

[Chris Cuomo]

And if you can't stop it with litigation and it's meaning it's legal, then it's gonna happen. I gotta tell you though, I could argue it either way, but if I'm playing, I go to Kelsey and I take the bet. I take the action that there is going to be an arrest by when?

[Amrish]

This month. So it's August 5th. What is it, 30 days in August 31st.

[Chris Cuomo]

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[Amrish]

So here's another story. This happened on the first of this month. Trump fired Erica McKenta. Antarifer. Erica McEntorifer. That's not butchered. No, I'm not butchering. I'm MacIntarfer McIntar.

[Chris Cuomo]

Okay, well, you don't know basketball, you don't know phonics. I get it. Keep going.

[Amrish]

I know phonics very well. I'm saying this. I've never read this name before. I'm looking at this thing sometimes when you see a name in print but you've never said it out loud before, that's what I'm getting. I'm so. I don't have a prompter in front of me. Like, actually, you rarely have a prompter. Just for the.

[Chris Cuomo]

Anyway, continue.

[Amrish]

Okay, so anyway, he fired this lady, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after the July jobs report. He called the numbers rigged. Some people are not happy about this. They're Making comparisons to the old Soviet Union, the, the old Russia and Argentina and Greece for fudging their numbers and the government coming out. If you watch Chernobyl, it's, you know, it's. No, no, it's good, it's good. What is, what is your take on the situation? Because a lot of Republicans are coming out. These business toads are coming out. Ray Dalio, I think so all these people are coming out, you know, saying, actually it' a good thing. Okay, she actually sucks. Blah, blah, blah. Like, what is your take on just the idea of like firing this figure moments after the report comes out.

[Chris Cuomo]

Here's the thing. It worked and I'll tell you why. What Trump is doing is messing with a culture of accommodation. What does that mean? That we've allowed things to continue the way they are, even though they're suboptimal? Because that's the way we do it and it's the way we've always done it, and it's more good than it is bad. Now, that is unsatisfying and it does seem suggestive of the idea that it should be better or different. So the job numbers get revised often. Why? Because they are collected in a way to get ahead of the number. And so there are going to be revisions and adjustments and there always have been. America is known as the gold standard for economic information. So the way that we do this, it's front loaded to get ahead of the number. Otherwise you'd have to wait and the data would be late. Okay. And it would take a lot longer to know what's happening in the economy. That's why they do it this way. And Trump cut a lot of the staff that does the crunching. So he put strain on the system that now he wants to judge as inadequate. However, it is easy to sell that this number gets changed a lot and therefore is not to be trusted. And therefore someone should be fired. Because remember, this is in Trump world where people know him mostly from the Apprentice, and when he doesn't like something, he fires the person. So he likes to fire and it seems like he's doing something. So firing this person works for MAGA and is a reinforcement of the idea that he will break it, he will break the system, he will break down the deep state and all the ways that they manipulate us. And one of the ways is statistics. That's why you have lies, damn lies. Statistics, as a politician once famously said so I actually think it works for him politically. But it is also absurd to people who are students of what's happening and who are aware of what's happening. And this is an obvious deflection because he's always relied on data when it works for him, and now he wants to say the data is a problem.

[Amrish]

Well, yeah, you could call it a win for him politically, but in the long run, what does this do when you start to. When you're not able to trust the numbers the government puts out to its own?

[Chris Cuomo]

He wants you not to trust. Distrust works for Trump because all he wants you to listen to is him, and he wants the freedom to BS you. And if truth doesn't matter and if everybody questions everything, he gets away with a lot more, and it works for him.

[Amrish]

The market I have pulled up here pertains to the state of the economy at the end of 2025. 79% of people as of think the economy's gonna have a soft landing by the end of the year. 11% say high unemployment, low inflation, and then low unemployment. High inflation is 9%.

[Greg]

Wait, what is this safe landing?

[Chris Cuomo]

What does a soft landing mean?

[Amrish]

Below 5% unemployment and below 5% inflation.

[Chris Cuomo]

If I were making a bet that by the end of the year, I think there is a better chance that it is below 5% employment and below 5% inflation. But if I were gonna bet, I'd bet on high inflation, not high unemployment.

[Amrish]

If you go back to what we were talking about a moment ago, what do you say about how the markets really haven't seemed to react? Like, there's talk all the. There's talk when Trump took office again that they're kind of baking in the insanity, and they're kind of like. Like the tariffs will go up and down. When he talks about firing Jerome Powell, the market tanks and he walks it back and he goes back up. I. I feel like with. Especially with this bureau person they got rid of. At what point is it death by a thousand cuts where you start making these threats and then you actually fire people and, like, just the. The information gets worse and worse and worse. The accuracy gets worse and worse and worse. And the professionals that you have doing these jobs go away, go away, go away. And so, like, you're left with the acting person and the person below the acting person. Do you see what I'm getting at? Like, what point do we realize, oh, we. We don't have anything to. To draw off of anymore because he doesn't like. So there is no more bad information. But we're living in a bad moment. Like, how do you fix that?

[Chris Cuomo]

The information perseverance, that the information matters. And the information has to come out even if he doesn't like it, even if the administration compromises the ability to produce it and depend on it, Right? So even though that they are affecting the distrust that they are also banking on, it has to keep coming out and you have to keep insisting on the standard. And that's why something like this with labor statistics, you have to be a fair broker and say, yeah, the numbers get revised, but we are seen as being more accurate than pretty much any other country. And he just doesn't like the job statistics. And here's the test. Find me statistics that he likes that he also questions the veracity of, and you won't. And that's his weakness, not ours. But I like that market. And if I'm making a bet, Kalshee is right to put the action where they are. But I would go, unemployment's going to stay low. Okay? We may be at full employment, by the way, and we're getting rid of workers that we actually need. But inflation could spike. We have not seen the impact of the trade war that was forced by the President in the interest of getting better deals, which we have to see if those happen. And the tariff structure, this idea that we're getting all this revenue but somehow we're never going to pay as consumers doesn't make any sense to most in the economy. Which would mean if a metric is going to pop, it's going to be inflation first, not unemployment. Support comes from AG1 and you know why? One and done. Okay. Yep, AG1's got new flavors. Cool, cool, cool. They got everything they've always had, though on top of it, I didn't need the extra flavors. Okay? The original is fine for me. I'm sticking with it. But here's the deal. All the different bottles, all the different cost centers, all the different combinations, not knowing what goes with what, all of that is taken out of the mix. Plus the best way for absorption, which is without question powder stirred in into a liquid that you then drink. That's what AG1 has going for it. The technology, the experience and the performance. Okay? That's why I take it every day. 75 + vitamins, minerals, pre probiotics, superfoods they have done the research for. You got the good news. Your daily health drink just got even better. Certainly more flavorful. Head to drinkag1.comcc for the Chris Cuomo project. Or just scan the QR code and you can try the new AG1 flavors right now. When you subscribe, you'll get a free welcome kit worth about 76 bucks including a 30 day supply of AG1 5 AG1 travel packs a shaker bottle, a metal canister scoop and a bottle of AG vitamin D3K2. That is a lot of stuff. Very cool. Drinkag1.com CCP and get on your way to better health. Support comes from Seoul. So I'm out with the brothers firefighters and have a couple of drinks and I'll tell you what I couldn't drive home. They hit me hard. Literally. It was just, just a couple. I woke up the next day and I was not right for half the day. At a certain stage, I think booze becomes more trouble than it's worth. That's why I'm so happy to work with Soul out of office Gummies from Seoul are the answer for me. So which boxes am I looking to check? Well, do they know what they're doing? Soul checks that box. They're not just figuring it out on the fly. Is it hemp derived? Yes. Why does that matter to me? When it comes to THC and cbd, I find it to be less psychotropic. What does that mean? Paranoia. Having a trip. I don't need a trip. Life has been a trip for me. I don't want it to knock me sideways. I'm a lightweight. And Soul with their out of office gummies have different strengths and I have tried one, two, three of them and they are all as advertised. So far for me, mild is the way to go. It's more than enough. I take one within half an hour or so. It's like a two drink buzz. Perfect. And it lasts for like an hour or so. Amazing. Bring on the good vibes and treat yourself to soul and do it today. Soul is offering my audience 30% off your entire order. Okay, that's going to hit and it's going to feel good. Go to getsoul.com and use the code Cuomo. Getsoul.com promo code Cuomo. 30% off. What else can you bet on? Can you bet on me? Is there anything in there about me?

[Amrish]

There's something about some town hall you did, but it's closed. Let me see.

[Chris Cuomo]

Anything about Andrew?

[Amrish]

Will Andrew Cuomo endorse Eric Adams? 17 chance.

[Chris Cuomo]

Really?

[Amrish]

They're giving it?

[Chris Cuomo]

Yeah, I think that kind of that question though it's interesting. I think that assumes that they were both in the same party, which they really aren't now because they're both independents. So the need for that is a little different. But they are saying that you all have to come together to beat this movement. I don't know that that's a good one, man. They make a market in interesting things and they do it in interesting ways.

[Amrish]

Oh, I mean, this has everything. Highest temperature in Denver today, 70% chance it's going to be 99.

[Greg]

I'm about those kind of.

[Amrish]

Yeah, you like those temperature bets? This is just the market. Will Trump ban lab grown meat, yes or no?

[Chris Cuomo]

During the. What's the timeline?

[Amrish]

The timeline is before January 1, 2026, if a bill becomes a law that bans the sale of cultivated meat before then. Cultivated meat. They're calling it cultivated meat instead of lab grown.

[Greg]

It's a good band name.

[Amrish]

Yeah, yeah. Cultivated Meat. That sounds like an underground, like, metal band or something. Cultivated meat. 8% CH was 28. So you started this whole thing talking about the midterms. So how do you tie gerrymandering and firing the BLS woman? How do you tie that all together for the midterms, Chris?

[Chris Cuomo]

Distraction. Distraction that gives Trump an advantage of attacking dysfunction. Now, you could argue he's causing the dysfunction, but all of these things are culture wars and even the BLS one, even though it's about government data and statistics, it's actually about a culture of belief or disbelief in government and the institutions. And Trump, by all rights, should be running almost exclusively on the economy in the big beautiful bill. And it seems like he wants to talk about anything but the big beautiful bill. And I think that's because it was a sellout move to the rich. And all that talk about working on our fiscal stewardship was bs and he's gonna use distractions. And each of these is a distraction that plays to his favor and against what we should be focused on, which is where's legislation on immigration that gives what the rule changes are in resources that they really need to get us to the next level and an accommodation that all people are not the same just because they entered the same way. And what this big beautiful bill actually did, and whether it's beautiful or it's ugly, that's what it should be about. And he wants to run away from those.

[Amrish]

There's a New York Times article I'm looking at from just a little while ago. Mike Flood, Republican of Nebraska, was not 30 seconds into his prepared introduction at a town hall in Lincoln on Monday when the booing and jeering began. And so this Republican is doing a town hall. Yeah, boo. I like. I like hissing. That's when everybody's booing. I like to hiss. You know what I mean? It's kind of a fun jeer. But he's talking about the bill. He goes, there's been a lot of misinformation out there about the bill. And people start shouting, you are a liar. Liar, liar. So this is going to be. In terms of the distractions, like you're talking about, like, it seems like this is top of mind, at least the voters at this.

[Chris Cuomo]

Well, look, there is a downside to Trump by making people believe nothing. And if you believe in nothing, he is going to be burdened by that as well. And the Epstein stuff has bled over into other categories of consciousness where people don't believe him either. He's always had a very low believability index. Okay.

[Amrish]

Even as an actor, like those commercials with the grimace and, you know, the Pizza Hut stuff, like, he just wasn't very convincing.

[Chris Cuomo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That really tells you everything you need to know.

[Amrish]

Yeah, you said believability. I'm saying as an actor, like, I don't believe he's actually eating this pizza.

[Chris Cuomo]

You know, sometimes I look in your eyes and I see absolutely nothing.

[Amrish]

That's. Well, isn't that the point you're trying to make?

[Chris Cuomo]

The point I'm trying to make is that he may get hoisted on his own petard, which is that when he needs people to believe things, they may not believe him because he's told them and reinforced the idea that they should believe nothing.

[Amrish]

I mean, I feel like that's the whole COVID 19 thing. Like, he was full of. For so much of his previous term when the virus actually hit, you know, they. People were tuning the guy out even though he was trying to, you know, get the vaccine made.

[Chris Cuomo]

That is the one thing where he's got. Until Epstein, where there's space between him and maga.

[Amrish]

Jeffrey Epstein. Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Cuomo]

Is. What other one is there?

[Amrish]

No, I don't know. I'm just making the one from welcome Back Cotter. No, that's a. That's a show before my time, my friend. That's what the. What? Travolta is Gabe Kaplan. Gabe Kaplan.

[Greg]

Ever watch I did Nick at night.

[Chris Cuomo]

Welcome back to the same old place that we left about getting the memories. Just saying. No, no, I watched it in real time. What? Where are you doing? John Travolta. Give me drugs, Give me drugs.

[Amrish]

Oh, no, I just watched. What is it? The fanatic Addicted.

[Chris Cuomo]

Give me drugs, Give me drugs Travel.

[Amrish]

He's on a lot of celebrity bald sites, but I think he's owning the baldness now. But for a long time, he had a really bad Rug.

[Chris Cuomo]

But he's still good looking. Yeah, he's still.

[Amrish]

Oh, yeah. He dressed up recently as the guy from Greece. And like in a reunion, and there are all these comments, like, he looks just like he did in Greece. It's like. No, he doesn't. He's. He's like a much older man. But, you know, he's got a leather jacket on, I suppose. But he didn't.

[Chris Cuomo]

No, they said he looked good there.

[Amrish]

I'm not saying he looked bad. I'm just saying they were saying he looked exactly like he did in the film, which can't be true because he was like, I don't know, 20. And now he's like, 70. It's your birthday this weekend, by the way.

[Chris Cuomo]

Oh, yeah. I'm gonna be 55. Double nickel. Turns out that 55 is a. I thought 60 was the next thing I turned 50, then you turn 60 or maybe 65.

[Amrish]

Well, I think you'd turn 50, then 51, then 52, then 53, then 54, then 55, then 56, then 57, then 58, then 59, then 60. You said 50 and then 60. You're skipping several years.

[Chris Cuomo]

Did you know that when you celebrate a birthday, you are actually in that next numerical year already? So I'm celebrating 55, but that actually means I'm in my 56th year.

[Amrish]

Right.

[Chris Cuomo]

Because I'm not in my 55th year.

[Amrish]

Year when you're born, that's year. It's your first year, but it doesn't count as a full year. But yeah, because I had a daughter recently and she's, you know, now her birthday was in May, so she's just one in several months. But she's in her second year.

[Chris Cuomo]

Yeah. I love when you, you know, new parents, you keep talking about them in months. Oh, yeah, she's 31 months now. Shut up.

[Amrish]

Sorry.

[Chris Cuomo]

All right, you get 12 months.

[Amrish]

That's it.

[Chris Cuomo]

Okay.

[Amrish]

So. So she'll just be one until I can round up to two.

[Chris Cuomo]

I thought this was fun, though. We. We should do this more. It's an way to game out how society feels about things that are kind of up in the air. And now you can actually bet on it and get in on the action. And maybe that's a good thing, because politics is a spectator sport. Maybe if people are betting on it, they'll take it more seriously. That certainly happened with football in my house is that now people watch every play because they're betting on everything. I don't enjoy that so much, but maybe it'll create more engagement and make people take outcomes more seriously because they literally stand to win or lose in a way that they recognize. Kali, good to partner with you. Welcome to the Chris Cuomo Project. But more importantly, thank you for subscribing and following Checking out me, Greg and Amish here on the podcast. Checking me out at News Nation 8p and 11p every weekday night. Thank you, thank you. Check us out on Tik Tok on the substack if you subscribe. I'll deal with your comments and your criticisms when I'm interviewing. People live there, which I do almost weekly. My friends, if you want to wear your independence, buy the free agent gear. Look, that's the approach we need. The challenges are obvious. So is the response. Let's get after it.