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The Daily Beans
Bye Bye Bondi (feat. John Fugelsang)
00:46:11
Friday, April 3rd, 2026 Today, Trump has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi with eyes on Lee Zeldin as her replacement; the Senate sends their partial government funding package back to the House to give them a second chance to pass it; veterans are losing their homes after Trump killed a VA home loan program; DOJ Office of Legal Counsel has written a memo saying presidents don’t have to turn their records over to the government; Trump’s address to the nation tanked stocks and sent oil prices higher by failing to give any clear answers about his war in Iran; Austria becomes the latest country to refuse US access to airspace; Hegseth has fired the Biden appointed Army Chief of Staff two years before his term was set to end; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.
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- [00:01]
Brian Caram
I'm Brian Caram, and I've spent decades covering politics. Now I'm taking you behind the scenes, one interview at a time.
- [00:09]
Podcast Narrator
Join us as each week Brian confronts the issues that matter, posing the questions you wish you could ask. No filter, no agenda, just the truth.
- [00:18]
Brian Caram
We're not here for sound bites. We're here for substance. Join me, Brian Caram, every week as we cut through the noise and get straight to it. This is Just Ask the Question where curiosity will lead us to the facts.
- [00:33]
Podcast Narrator
Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform and remember, when you want answers, all you have to do is just ask the question.
- [00:46]
Allison Gill
Msw media.
- [00:54]
Dana Goldberg
News whis
- [01:00]
Brian Caram
daily beans.
- [01:04]
Dana Goldberg
Daily beans. Daily beans.
- [01:10]
Allison Gill
Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Friday, April 3, 2026. Today, Trump has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi with eyes on Lee Zeldin as her replacement. The Senate has sent their partial government funding package back to the House to give them a second chance to pass it. Veterans are losing their homes after Trump killed a VA home loan program. The Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel has written a memo saying presidents don't have to turn in their records to the government. Trump's address to the nation tanked stocks and sent oil prices higher by failing to give any clear answers about his war in Iran. Austria becomes the latest country to refuse US Access to airspace. And Hegseth has fired the Biden appointed Army chief of staff two years before his term with set to end. I'm Allison Gill.
- [01:54]
Dana Goldberg
And I'm Dana Goldberg.
- [02:00]
Allison Gill
Hello, my friend. Happy Friday.
- [02:01]
Dana Goldberg
Welcome back and thank you very much. How are you?
- [02:04]
Allison Gill
Oh, you know, I am sleepy today, but I don't know if it's because it's cloudy or if it was just a long week of news. There was a lot of news this week.
- [02:11]
Dana Goldberg
It could have been all of the above. All the above.
- [02:15]
Allison Gill
Yeah. How are you? Is everything going awesome in your world? I mean, I'm tired.
- [02:19]
Dana Goldberg
Is everything going awesome in anyone's world?
- [02:23]
Allison Gill
I mean, I feel like it's.
- [02:25]
Dana Goldberg
Everyone asks me, like, how are you? And there's always a differentiation between, like, globally, what the fuck? Personally, things are going well. You know what I mean? But none of us who listen to this program stop our lives that things are going well personally, so fuck everything else. Like, it bleeds into each other. So on any given day, I'm like, I'm fine. But also fascism.
- [02:47]
Allison Gill
Yes, yes. But also fascism. Absolutely. And joining us to discuss some of that fascism today will be John Fugle San. Because it's Fugle and Fridays on the Daily Beans. So we're going to talk about this next story a little bit more on the Unjustified podcast this Sunday with Andy McKay. But Office of Legal Counsel, Remember the folks who wrote the memo that said you can't indict a sitting president?
- [03:10]
Dana Goldberg
Correct.
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Allison Gill
And the folks who wrote the memo that said Trump didn't obstruct justice in the Mueller investigation?
- [03:15]
Dana Goldberg
Which was.
- [03:17]
Allison Gill
Yeah, which was. Well, they've written another Office of Legal Counsel memo saying that the president doesn't have to turn over his records to the government. They're basically saying that the Presidential Records act is unconstitutional. And you know, this was his argument for why he should get to keep all those classified documents in the shitter at Mar A Lago.
- [03:37]
Dana Goldberg
Right.
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Allison Gill
Was because the Presidential Records act was unconstitutional. So he got his 37 year old lawyer, Office of Legal Counsel guy, to write up a memo saying that the PRA is unconstitutional so that he doesn't have to give back what he have, whatever he decides to take when he leaves office. I'm surprised he thinks he's going to make it it at the end of his term, but that's what this is about.
- [03:58]
Dana Goldberg
That's wild. Absolutely wild. Everyone, if you're paying attention, Pam Bondi, see you next Tuesday. Is out of a job. Well, she's at least out of government. She's heading to the private sector. That should surprise no one. And apparently Trump is considering EPA Chief Lee Zeldin to replace her. I think there was also possible Attorney General, Missouri, I may have made that state up, but I think that was sort of being thrown around. Now, Blanche, by the way right now is the acting attorney general in the meantime. So he is actually Trump's personal lawyer and now he's the attorney General. So there's no differentiation there. And AG I have a question for you. Yeah. Can they still subpoena Pam Bondi on the Epstein file case now that she's no longer the attorney General?
- [04:41]
Allison Gill
Yes, indeed. Nothing happens to that subpoena. It actually makes it easier for her to testify, not being a government employee. Garcia has said as much. There were a couple statements that came out from House Judiciary and House Oversight, specifically House Oversight because they're the ones who issued the subpoena to Pam Bondi to answer questions in the Epstein case. And so this doesn't change that. The only thing that would change that is if the subpoena is withdrawn. And as you know, we reported about a week or so ago could have been 10 years ago, but I think it was last week that some of the Republicans who signed off on that subpoena are thinking about removing their names because Pam Bondi gave that briefing.
- [05:16]
Dana Goldberg
Yeah.
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Allison Gill
Remember the briefing where Comer called Summer Lee and the Democrats walked out?
- [05:22]
Dana Goldberg
Yes.
- [05:23]
Allison Gill
So I think that Pam Bondi may successfully quash that subpoena, but as of right now, it still stands. And she needs to come in and be deposed on April 14, but we'll see if she can successfully get rid of it or not. And Austria becomes the latest country to deny the US Use of its airspace related to the war in Iran, which a lot of people were expecting. Trump was going to announce last night that, you know, mission accomplished, that he was going to announce this shit was over. He didn't. And we'll talk a little bit about that in a minute and a little bit more on beans talk. But Austria, then it. Before it was Spain, Italy, France. And that was kind of part of Trump's NATO bashing that happened last night during his 19 minute address to the nation. But, yeah, so Austria's on board now. They're like, no, you can't use our airspace. And they're all saying essentially the same thing. Dana, you never came to us and asked us if it was okay that you were gonna start this war. And in these countries, the President's approval rating, Trump's approval rating, is like, under 20%. Like, 80% of the people in these countries hate that. And anybody who would go along with this would be committing political suicide in those countries. So it stands to reason that they wouldn't let us use their airspace.
- [06:42]
Dana Goldberg
So what happens, though, if they decide to use the airspace? I mean, can they shoot down a US Plane? Like, are we. You know what I mean? If Trump's like, fuck this, I'm gonna do it anyway, because he doesn't seem to care. Obviously, it'd be some sort of an international crime, or at least. I don't know. I just didn't. I don't know if they can have any repercussions if he just decides to ignore that.
- [07:03]
Allison Gill
Well, I imagine they could charge him with crimes, but I. You know, I don't know what that would look like because he's the US President, right? So. Yeah, that's a. That's a really good question. I mean, what's stopping Trump from just saying, I don't care and using it anyway? They're not going to shoot us down, I imagine. So.
- [07:20]
Dana Goldberg
I would imagine they wouldn't shoot innocent soldiers down, but I have no idea.
- [07:24]
Allison Gill
Yeah. Who knows? We might find out.
- [07:28]
Dana Goldberg
Jesus Christ.
- [07:28]
Allison Gill
Yeah, yeah, we'll keep an eye on that for you. All right, we've got a lot of news to get to today, so let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right, first up from Reuters, oil prices surged Thursday and global equity markets retreated after remarks by Trump dashed hopes of a swift resolution to the Iran war. Still, European shares trimmed losses and U.S. bond prices clawed back gains on renewed hopes of a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran was drafting a protocol with Oman to monitor traffic in the narrow waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas is shipped. Now, Brent crude surged more than 7% a barrel after Trump said in his primetime address Wednesday that the U.S. would hit Iran extremely hard in the coming weeks and, quote, bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong, unquote. On Wall street, stocks were lower on the last trading day of the week with markets closed for Good Friday. Gold prices fell as the US Dollar gained. Government bond yields jumped on expectations that an inflation spike is going to force central banks to raise interest rates or at least keep them on hold. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, climbed about 0.48%, quote. Over the past 48 hours, Tehran and Washington have exchanged a cacophony of statements, some suggesting ris of de escalation. That's BCA Research's Felix Antoine Vezina Poirier. That's what he said. Quote. Our Geomarco strategists offer simple guidance for weighing volatile headlines. Stick to the facts. First, shipping through Hormuz has picked up over the past few days. Second, Iran is deliberately shifting away from gcc, that's the Gulf Cooperation Council targets, toward Israeli ones. Now, MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe fell 0.59%. On Wall Street, Dow fell 0.39 to 46,383. So, Pam Bondi, just for your situational awareness, the dow is below 50,000. The S&P 500 declined 0.23% to 6,560 and Nasdaq lost about 0.28% to 21,780, quote. The fact that we can expect two to three more weeks of action. Boots on the ground were not ruled out during Trump's TV address and that threats to hit infrastructure were reiterated. That will pull the market back on the defensive. That's Pictet Asset Management's John Withar. That's what he said. So not looking good. That address was just 19 minutes of slurred rubbish that didn't answer any questions. Created more questions than it answered. I mean, ridiculous.
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Dana Goldberg
Yeah. It's not surprising. I feel like that's his every speech now.
- [10:16]
Allison Gill
Yeah.
- [10:16]
Dana Goldberg
This next story, it's just, it's just frustrating. This is how this country takes care of our veterans. This is from NPR. More than 10,000 veterans lost their homes to foreclosure since May of last year when Trump administration shut down a key safety net in the VA home loan program. This is according to the latest industry data, that is the highest pace of foreclosures for VA loans in a decade. There was another 90,000 vets. They're heading toward foreclosure. Another 90,000. This comes after a years long debacle inside the Department of Veterans affairs that has whiplashed thousands of vets between various enacted and canceled programs and left, left many of them on the brink of losing their homes, often through no fault of their own. A loan backed by the VA is considered one of the most valuable benefits for military service members and it's helped millions achieve home ownership. For nearly a year now, vets have had worse protections and options than most homeowners if they fall behind. Now, the roots of the crisis, they come back to a mistake, just a mistake made during the Biden administration when the VA abruptly shut down a pandemic assistance program while thousands of vets were still in the middle of it. Now, struggling homeowners who use the program to skip some mortgage payments, they suddenly had to pay those payments back all at once, an unaffordable burden for many of them. Now, after NPR investigation exposed the problem, the VA halted foreclosures for a year while it rolled out a fix. Okay, so it tried to fix it. Republicans in Congress citing costs, they wanted to kill that fix and replace it with something else. But last spring, the mortgage industry warned that shutting down the program without first replacing it would be a dis. And this is a, quote, foreclosure period. That's really where it's going to come from. This is what Elizabeth Ball said and she represents the Mortgage Bankers association at a hearing in March of 2025 before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Less than two months later, the Trump administration shut down the rescue program anyway. Of course they did. Since then, since that time, more than 10,000 veterans have lost their homes through foreclosure sales, according to ICE Mortgage Technology, which tracks such data. Meanwhile, 90,000 more veterans are currently behind on mortgages or in the foreclosure process. So there's only 10,000 right now, 90,000 more. The VA now says it's coming out with a new program that could help many of those vets, but it still won't be up and running for months. Housing and industry groups warn the program, when in final operation, could still leave those vets with worse options than other homeowners and push their monthly payments up by hundreds of dollars a month. The way the new plan is written, the VA is telling mortgage companies that if a new modified loan at a higher interest rate only raises a veteran's monthly payment by up to 15%, they must place vets into that more costly loan. So a veteran with $2,000 monthly mortgage payment, it could still be pushed into a modified loan that raises their payment by up to $300 a month. And they wouldn't be given the option of moving their missed payments to back of their loan and keeping the original lower cost mortgage. They won't even have a choice. The mortgage industry is telling the VA that doesn't make any sense because it doesn't.
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Allison Gill
Wow. So the Biden administration accidentally stopped it, found out, quickly, fixed it, you know, gave forbearance to everybody for a year. And then Republicans wanted to write a new plan and didn't. And then Trump just ended it.
- [13:49]
Dana Goldberg
It of course they didn't write it.
- [13:52]
Allison Gill
And now this new plan forces veterans into a higher monthly mortgage payment. Jesus. Yeah. Ah, it's going to be a disaster. Already is for these 10,000 families and 90,000 soon to follow. All right, from CBS, Defense Secretary Kegseth has fired Army Chief of Staff General Randy George. He's asked him to step down and take an immediate retirement. And that's according to sources familiar. One of the sources said Hegseth wants someone in the role who will implement Trump and Hegseth's vision for the Army. George previously served as the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in 21 and 22. Like what? Like five, four or five years ago during the Biden administration. And that was after decades of service. He's a career infantry officer, West Point graduate. He first served in the first Gulf War and the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The army chief of staff typically serves a four year term. George was nominated for the position by Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023, meaning he would have typically held that position until 2027. The current vice chief of staff of the Army, Christopher Le Neve, who was formerly Hegseth's military aide, will likely be considered as a replacement. He previously served as the commanding general of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division under the Biden administration. The U.S. military Academy at West Point posted photos on social media on Thursday of George saying he shared experience driven gu with cadets preparing to lead. And that was during a visit, according to his biography on the Army's website. George received his commission as an infantry officer from West Point in 1988 and deployed during Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Before serving as Army Chief of Staff, he was Vice chief of Staff of the army from 2022 to 2023. Hegseth has fired over a dozen senior military officials, including Chairman of The Joint Chief General C.Q. brown, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, General James Slife and the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, lieutenant General Jeffrey Cruz. Now this ouster follows Hegseth's Twitter post lifting the suspension of the air crew that flew by Kid Rock's house in Nashville last weekend. After the army announced the suspension of the aviators and an administrative review, Hegseth overruled the army, writing on his personal Twitter account, no punishment, no investigation. Carry on, patriots. So Hegseth's decision to ask George to exit. I don't know why they don't just say Hegseth's decision to fire him. Yeah, apparently, according to a source, isn't related to the helicopter incident. But I, I, I don't believe that.
- [16:36]
Dana Goldberg
Yeah, I know, I'm sorry.
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Allison Gill
I don't believe it.
- [16:40]
Dana Goldberg
Yeah. All right, this one's from Politico. House Republicans are balking once again at a GOP plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Dozens of members aired objections to a proposed two step process backed by Trump in a lengthy private call Thursday, according to three people granted anonymity to discuss the conversation. Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders made a case for a bill funding most of the department. One, by the way, they bitterly opposed as recent as this past weekend, leaving key immigration enforcement agencies for the party line budget reconciliation process. But for several members on the call, they said that they would oppose a bill that Johnson had publicly called a joke after initially passed the Senate last week. With some reiterating, they did not want to vote for a package that omits Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Control funding for ice. Now, many pushed for the enforcement funding bill to at least start moving through the House before passing the larger DHS bill. One member on the call told Politico that the House should not fund the bulk of the department until the Senate passes the enforcement spending. They said this is pretty pathetic. It's taking a step back. The call came hours after the Senate acted to put the two track plan into motion, sending the bill funding most of the DHS back to the House early Thursday morning. Senate Majority Leader John Thune's maneuver, undertaken without objection in a mostly empty chamber just after 7am came less than a day after Trump effectively endorsed what had been th strategy all along for DHS funding, most of it through a bipartisan deal with Democrats and then using reconciliation to plow cash into immigration enforcement. Well, now the bipartisan funding measure is back in the House for a redo less than a week after conservatives balk the first time at separating out enforcement funding. And it could be nearly two more weeks before they even take a vote on this. So that means TSA still not fucking getting paid unless this executive order goes through that Trump said he was going to do. I just can't. Gop leaders currently have no plans to bring members back to Washington earlier than their scheduled April 14th return from a two week spring recess. With some of the members resisting the deal, Johnson will likely have to rely on the votes of the House Democrats to get the DHS funding bill to Trump's desk. While members have been under pressure to deliver paychecks to DHS workers who have been furloughed or working without pay since February 14th. The pressure to act has been eased by Trump, who moved last week, as I said, to pay airport security officers and announced Thursday he would pay other DHS employees as the legislation moves across Capitol Hill. Rep. Don Beyer he is a Democrat from Virginia who attended a brief House session Thursday. He told reporters that he was pleased to see Republicans coalescing around the Senate approved plan. Even once both chambers clear the Senate bill there, it's going to face a tight timeline for the second part of the Trump Trump blessed plan, delivering an immigration enforcement bill to the desk by June 1. The Senate is expected to move first to approve a budget resolution that will unlock the GOP only immigration bill. That's according to three people again granted anonymity to talk about this and it could adopt the fiscal blueprint for the final bill by the end of the month. Thune said Thursday he has already had conversations with Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham about how to move as quickly as possible and I quote a theory of the case behind all this was to keep that thing as narrow and focused as possible and that maximizes, I think the speed at which we can do
- [20:15]
Allison Gill
it and support it well so that so these senators are really going to use one of their budget reconciliation bills to give ICE more money without reforms ahead of the midterms.
- [20:27]
Dana Goldberg
So it sounds like horrible idea, Coolio.
- [20:30]
Allison Gill
Fine by me. I imagine that Mike Johnson could probably get enough Democratic House members to vote for this partial DHS funding. That's going to be funny. That's going to be funny. And to pay tsa.
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Dana Goldberg
Exactly.
- [20:43]
Allison Gill
I mean, Jesus. Anyway, thank you for that story, everybody. We have John Fugal saying next and then we'll have the the good news. So stick around. We'll be right back after these messages.
- [20:53]
John Fugelsang
We'll be right back.
- [20:57]
Brian Caram
I'm Brian Caram and I've spent decades covering politics. Now I'm taking you behind the scenes one interview at a time.
- [21:04]
Podcast Narrator
Join us as each week Brian confronts the issues that matter, posing the questions you wish you could ask. No filter, no agenda, just the truth.
- [21:13]
Brian Caram
We're not here for sound bites. We're here for substance. Join me, Brian Caram, every week as we cut through the noise and get straight to it. This is just Ask the Question for curiosity will lead us to the facts.
- [21:28]
Podcast Narrator
Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform and remember, when you want answers, all you have to do is just ask the question.
- [21:43]
Allison Gill
Hey everybody, welcome back. It's Friday on the Daily Beans. That means it's Fugal sang Friday. So we are joined by New York Times bestselling author of the Separation of Church and Hate, also host of tell me everything on SiriusXM progress channel, 127 weeknights, 9pm Eastern, 6 Pacific. Also hosts the John Fugalsang show podcast, the Substack. You can see him anywhere and everywhere. It's John Fugelsang. Hi, my friend.
- [22:05]
John Fugelsang
Hello, Alison. And congratulations to everybody who had Pam Bondi. Next on the pool for the one way ticket to Christine Home Island. Well done, everyone. That was me. That was you. See, a lot of people were saying Cash Patel, but it's too soon. Same for Hegseth. It was Pam's time.
- [22:21]
Allison Gill
It was Pam's time. And the dow is under 50,000. So.
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John Fugelsang
Wow. Have you seen it, Pam? Have you seen it? The Dow's almost 50,000. Yeah. Pam gets her one way ticket to Christine O' Mile island, where Dan Bongino and Greg Bevino have been waiting for quite a while.
- [22:38]
Dana Goldberg
Yeah.
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Allison Gill
And I think it's interesting with the Dow where it is to death, 46,000 and a handful of points, something like that. Now I just want to kind of let everybody know. I know a lot of people are thinking that they did this to get out of her having to testify on April 14th. But this doesn't impact a subpoena. In fact, it makes it easier for her to testify.
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John Fugelsang
You mean a subpoena doesn't magically go to heaven because someone loses their title? Is that what you're saying, Doctor, that's madness.
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Allison Gill
That's what I'm saying. In fact, the only thing that can tank this subpoena is, I think, what might actually happen. Some of these GOP hardliners pulling their names off of it and having the subpoena withdrawn.
- [23:17]
John Fugelsang
Well, that could, but we'll see.
- [23:18]
Allison Gill
Yeah, we'll see what happens. But, yeah. So she's still set to testify April 14, although she said she feels she doesn't have to because she gave that briefing to Congress in which. Which Jim Comer called Summer Lee bitchy or whatever, and the Democrats walked out. So we're still waiting for that letter to quash the subpoena from Pam Bondi on those grounds.
- [23:38]
John Fugelsang
She's very wrong on that one. The only thing Pam Bondi doesn't have to care about are the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, that is associates. That's the only thing she doesn't have to care about.
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Allison Gill
Yeah. Now, the reason the dow is under 50 thou, as it were, got a lot to do with what happened last night. Was it an Oval Office address? You watched it? I didn't watch it because I figured he was just gonna whine about NATO and, you know, talk about, cry about whatever, his voting rights, you know, I just figured it would be an airing of Green.
- [24:08]
John Fugelsang
Yeah, you were right. You were right. Yes, you were. You were exactly right, but. And you have a life, so you did other things. But I do a radio show at what the hell o'. Clock, and so we had to carry it live. At least now Sirius XM is just letting me do live commentary over the President every time one of these things happens. So we just talked and fact checked our way through it. It on progress. But, yes, he gave a speech. It was titled Wein Kampf, and it was all about the dumbest war smart people still have to pay for. And honestly, Alison, I don't know why they did it. I mean, clearly they're looking at the polls, they're looking at the gas prices. They knew they had to do some kind of damage control. But I went into this thing thinking, okay, there's two reasons why you do this. To announce the ground trip troops or to announce that you're pulling out and
- [24:56]
Allison Gill
we're all done or mission accomplished. Right?
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John Fugelsang
They did neither. It was just the same old retreading of old grievances, lies about the Obama nuclear deal that our military swears Iran was abiding by. You'll be happy to know he did say Barack Hussein Obama. So they're doing the greatest hits for all the old folks at the state fair. Coming out to see the band do its history back in the day. It was an incredible mistake. He was old, he was slurring his words, he was tired, My God, he was monogamous with the teleprompter. I mean, just to hear him breathing, he got winded leaning on that teleprompter like it was a podium. And you know, normally this guy's capable of being very charismatic. He can still work a room. But when we watch the news, we just see the little clips because the media is invested in sane washing this guy. So when it's an actual 20 minute or 19 minute speech and the public gets to hear this guy talk for any length of time, it destroys the perception of him that the media has tried to cultivate. This was such. I mean, next to the decision to go into the war, this speech last night and showing this dementia riddled guy with decades of untreated syphilis who was breathing heavy for the whole world to see was pathetic. Honestly, I don't know why they did it. I know that's why the markets crashed. And it just reminded me that Bibi Netanyahu was the worst American president since a year ago when Elon Musk was the American president.
- [26:26]
Allison Gill
Well, he was very, very tired, John, see, because he had gone to the Supreme Court earlier and sat in a special Hermeet Dylan chair just for presidents that doesn't exist. And then. And got up 10 minutes into the ACLU's argument and went home. Probably because she was using big words, couldn't understand.
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John Fugelsang
And ACLU is hard to spell as well. It's very disorienting for some people.
- [26:49]
Allison Gill
It's a letters.
- [26:50]
John Fugelsang
I mean, what did you make of that? Like so much history in one day and all for nothing and all achieving nothing. First off, we know he went there for one reason, to try to intimidate the justices he believes work for him. You know, it was like Godfather 2 when Frankie Pentangeli is testifying before Congress. And so Tom Hayden and Michael bring Pentangeli's brother from the old country just to have him there in the room so Pantangeli behaves. I think Trump really saw this as being a Godfather two moment where he could glower at these justices like it was the Apprentice. And if you stare at them Long enough, they'll agree with you. And it backfired so spectacularly listening to it. And I want your take on this. I thought his presence there made Gorsuch, Coney, Barrett and Roberts feel they had to do extra backflips to show they weren't being deferential to this guy, to show they were being contrarian. I thought his presence there backfired against him spectacularly. What do you think?
- [27:53]
Allison Gill
Well, to Chief Justice John Roberts, there was a really great way to have to avoid having to do backflips around this case, and that was to not take it, not grant cert in the first place and not listen to these bullshit arguments at all and let the lower court ruling stand. So I never thought the leopards would eat my judiciary again and, and again with John Roberts. So you, you know, you elect a clown, you get a circus, and that this is exactly what Justice, Chief Justice John Roberts has wrought with his immunity decision and ruling.
- [28:28]
John Fugelsang
Yeah, he's all about himself. That guy's an aristocrat who's all about him and his sweater vest just showing how moderate he really is. That's John Roberts favorite thing is moderation, cosplay. I mean, Trump being there gave John Roberts an excuse to act way more moderate than he really is and than he ever has been. John Roberts is like one of the only Republican aristocrats in this whole city of D.C. that actually is looking at his place in the history books and not just looking at the next couple of weeks, but if he had done that, Alison, and I hate to disagree, but if John Roberts had refused to take the case, we would have been denied so much comedy from this White House trying to undo the 14th Amendment because Donald Trump doesn't like it. In 1857, the court ruled that black Americans could never be citizens. It was Dred Scott. One of the most awful decisions in legal history. It's actually what Donald Trump makes the escort read out loud as part of foreplay. It's the only way he can get excited at this point is to have the broad read Dred Scott out loud. So we have a Civil War, 400,000 Union deaths to fix it. So in 68, 1868, Congress passes the 14th Amendment right, and it guarantees that states cannot decide based on race who gets to live here anymore. And it stands for what, 156 odd years Como over, Caligula signs this executive order trying to end it, and he sends this poor bastard Sauer, the Solicitor General, in to argue by essentially calling dead confederates as his expert witness. I mean, like, literally, they were citing dead white supremacists who called Chinese people barbarians and who defended slavery to try to make a case in this century. They were treating these old arguments like they were vintage wine instead of long expired milk. I mean, I gotta learn more about this.
- [30:22]
Allison Gill
Didn't they use. Didn't they cite somebody from Rome as, well, like an old Roman law or something? I mean, it's just. It's beyond parody.
- [30:28]
John Fugelsang
Oh, yeah. I mean, they were. Hey, hey, here's an idea. Let's try the racist arguments that we lost with in the 1890s. Yeah, that's why they're called losing arguments, you idiots. They lost again.
- [30:41]
Allison Gill
Yeah. And, I mean, he's lost quite a bit in court this week. Although they did win.
- [30:45]
John Fugelsang
Yes, he has.
- [30:46]
Allison Gill
They did win with, you know, overturning. Not overturning outright, but preparing to overturn Colorado's ban on conversion therapy.
- [30:56]
John Fugelsang
Yeah, I wrote a heavy substack about that. It's the ugliest thing. It's deeply ugly. And I understand that Sotomayor and Kagan understand the law much better Alicent than my tiny mind. But la. Like, I don't think they understand how much real, real harm is going to be inflicted on real, real kids because of what they did yesterday. Ketanji Brown Jackson gets the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Trophy. She's the only adult in the room, and she pretty much came out there and just said, you aristocratic shitheads need to understand how serious this is. I mean, what they did by saying, well, you're allowed to give medical advice that has been discredited.
- [31:36]
Allison Gill
It.
- [31:36]
John Fugelsang
That is junk science. The American Medical association, the American Psychological Association, Academy of Pediatrics, the World Psychiatric association, they all say that conversion therapy is junk science. It doesn't work. It causes lasting damage. It's cruel. It increases the rates of depression and anxiety and suicidal ideation among LGBTQ kids. And the court's like, well, okay, well, what if they say it real politely? So essentially, they're saying that you can do anything as a licensed professional in the context of therapy because it's free speech. So in other words, I can't put leeches on you to treat your cancer. That would be wrong. But I can tell you how to put leeches on yourself. And it's like they just decided free speech is now a shield for substandard care. It's insane to me.
- [32:27]
Allison Gill
It is. It's insane to me as well. It's torture. The UN calls it torture.
- [32:31]
John Fugelsang
It is torture.
- [32:32]
Allison Gill
And it's. You know, it's Another attack on the LGBTQ youth.
- [32:38]
John Fugelsang
Yeah, on kids. I mean, it's on kids. And. And we. I mean, you know, and this could ripple outward. Right? Like, what about medical advice, legal counsel, financial advice? Like, so we can lie. Any professionals that are licensed can now lie to their clients because it's a free speech issue. This means doctors can tell you to take snake oil. This means lawyers can knowingly give you fraudulent advice. Financial advisors can lie to you during your retirement planning. That's essentially what they said in an 8 to 1 ruling. I don't get it with Sotomayor and Kagan on this.
- [33:10]
Allison Gill
Yeah. All they had to say, Sotomayor and Kagan was basically, oh, you can write a better law.
- [33:17]
John Fugelsang
Right.
- [33:17]
Allison Gill
That would withstand this. And it's like, all right, so now all 24 states and DC who have laws on the books banning conversion therapy have to rewrite their laws now to meet your standards, and it still leaves the door wide open for people. And to me, that's fraud. When we talk about, like, what Trump did January 6th, you're free to lie in this country, but you aren't free to lie, to perpetrate fraud. Is that next?
- [33:47]
John Fugelsang
I mean, there is consequences for free speech. So I assume the new normal is, well, your doctor can't drill a hole into your head to drain it out, to make your migraine go away, but he can tell you to go home and drill a hole in your head. And then if you survive, you have the option to sue the doctor. That seems to be the playing field they're imposing on all of us. But once again, and I hate to be a broken record, but what no one brings up is this woman in Colorado who did this, who sued to try to bring back this torture of children. She said that it was because she wants to help parents live consistent with their faith. I want a constitutional right to let me do a treatment that every major medical organization says doesn't work and causes harm to children. Children because of Jesus, although Jesus never says to do this. And this is what no one ever brings up in all these court cases with LGBTQ issues, when it's always a religious complaint. It's always Christians trying to take rights away from gay people. And no one ever brings up that homophobia is forbidden by Christ. The Sermon on the Mount. I mean, judge not, lest you be judged. Like we are taught. Leviticus doesn't apply. There's a new covenant here. The part of the Bible that says men with men is an abomination. That's the same part that says you can't eat shellfish and you have to stone adulterers to death. None of these anti gay Christians have read the Jesus parts. And they're not gonna start now that they can traumatize kids for being born the wrong way. But once again, I wish just once, just once, one of these justices would say, where in your holy book does Jesus chase the gay out of the kids? It doesn't exist in Christianity. It doesn't exist in Jesus's life or teachings. It exists in man made Christianity.
- [35:31]
Allison Gill
Right. And if that's your legal argument, where is it? Show us.
- [35:35]
John Fugelsang
Yeah, show us your reference. This is because your holy book. It's not in your holy book. Your holy book commands you to. Jesus commands you to treat gay people the way you would treat him in Matthew 25. They don't follow it. There is no religious argument. But we are so culturally brainwashed and groomed to assume that homophobia and Christianity go hand in hand that this still isn't brought up in our courthouses.
- [35:58]
Allison Gill
Yeah. And now I'm wondering if VA doctors can sue for the right to tell patients to use medical marijuana.
- [36:05]
John Fugelsang
Mm, thank you. You're right.
- [36:07]
Allison Gill
They've been allowed to do that. And the reason is, is because, well, marijuana is against the law. Well, so is conversion therapy. That's what we tried to do by making this law. Where are you, how are you missing. How are you missing this?
- [36:18]
John Fugelsang
It's a great point anyway. Great point. Everyone needs to read Ketanji Brown Jackson's dissent. Just amazing. I mean, and she really says it. If a fake therapy that hurts children counts as protected speech, then what the hell isn't protected speech at this point, Right?
- [36:35]
Allison Gill
No, precisely. Well, we're going to keep a close eye on a couple of other big cases that are coming up before the Supreme Court. We're also going to be looking at what the Supreme Court court decides on birthright citizenship. I think it'll be could be 9 0, but I think it might be 8 1. I think Alito seemed a little sympathetic. Donald Trump's weird ass 1860s racist arguments.
- [36:58]
John Fugelsang
So I don't, don't, don't rule out Clarence Thomas being a ladder puller at the last second as well.
- [37:03]
Allison Gill
Right. Yeah, I was thinking about that as well. It'll be at least be 7:2. Yeah, I'm hoping for a 9:0, but I just. Because it would just make Donald Trump so, so very angry. But, but, you know, I'm surprised this
- [37:15]
John Fugelsang
is his last hope. I mean, this is all about white people becoming a minority in 2040. 5. Right. That's what's driving all of this racial panic. That's why they're trying so hard to find every little way they can do to push that year off to maybe, maybe, maybe 2047, maybe 2051. We can, we can, you know, let's deport all the brown people. Let's say you're not citizens, you can't vote. They're trying anything they can do to maintain white supremacy when, you know, what if they want to have more white people? People, you gotta undo 45 years of trickle down economics so young white couples feel like they can afford to have more than one kid.
- [37:50]
Allison Gill
Yeah, yeah, agreed. Anyway, thank you so much, my friend. It's always good to see you. I really highly recommend everybody check out Tell me everything on SiriusXM progress. It's on channel 127, weeknights, 9pm Eastern, 6 Pacific. And of course, I am sure every single person within the sound of my voice has a copy of the Separation of Church and Hate. Buy a few more, put them out in your free little libraries. Dude, you people better, better.
- [38:10]
John Fugelsang
You better.
- [38:12]
Allison Gill
I appreciate your time today, my friend. It's always good to see you.
- [38:15]
John Fugelsang
You're the best.
- [38:15]
Allison Gill
Thanks, everybody. Stick around. We'll be right back with the good news.
- [38:19]
Frances Collier
Hi, I'm Frances Collier. And I'm Angela V. Shelton. And we're Frantela. You know what you need in your life? The Final Word podcast. Yes, you do. That's right. It is the final word on all things political and pop cultural, where we make real news, real funny, where we inspire you so you can resist. Subscribe and get a new episode of the Final Word podcast each week. It's the news we think you need to hear.
- [38:44]
Allison Gill
That's right.
- [38:45]
Frances Collier
We think you need to hear it. Okay.
- [38:47]
John Fugelsang
Yeah.
- [38:47]
Frances Collier
It's what we say, so. That's right. And because all we do is give. Every Thursday, you can listen to our hysterical podcast, Idiot of the Week. We round up the stupid. Because you know what? Somebody has to.
- [38:58]
Allison Gill
Okay? All we do is give. Everybody welcome back. It's time for the good news.
- [39:06]
John Fugelsang
Good news, everyone. Then good news, everyone.
- [39:23]
Dana Goldberg
Good news.
- [39:24]
Allison Gill
And if you have any good news or confessions or corrections, you want to send in some good trouble ideas, you want to give a shout out to a loved one or yourself or a government program, maybe you're one of the 170,000 people that just got their student loan forgiven. We'd love to hear from you. Maybe have a shout out to a nonprofit or a small business in your area. Anything at all. Any little bit of good news? Send it to us dailybeanspod.com click on Contact. And to get your submission read on the air, all you got to do is pay your pod pet tariff, which means attach a photo of your pet or an adoptable pet in your area or a random animal on the Internet. A bird watching photo, which can be an actual bird or you flipping the bird to a Trump building. We love those photos. Everyone's got one in their phone somewhere, especially if you've been to Chicago or New York. Yeah, you could send those to us. Baby photos, family photos, pictures of your no Kings event that you just went to. We would love to see all of your amazing pictures again. Send it to us daily beanspod.com and click on contact. First up is your Good trouble. Good Trouble today comes from Indivisible. There is a general strike being planned for May 1, Mayday. So start preparing for that. Do what you can to make sure you do not have to shop or work or go to school that day, because corporations need to feel the negative impact act, not you and I. I love this because, you know, we. We see a lot of folks who are like, oh, protests don't work. We need a general strike. But what Indivisible has been doing is building up from 2 million to 5 million to 7 million to 9 million and then planning this general strike. And I think that's a really, really, really good way to do it. So I'm really excited about this, and that's what I would recommend that y' all start doing planning for planning for May 1st.
- [41:05]
Dana Goldberg
There you go. All right. This is from Anonymous pronoun. She and her hi Beans. I had no idea it was trans visibility day and you guys helped a rookie out because of your show. I texted my teen who is at college in another state to have a happy day, and he was stoked. He's trans and I love him no matter what. For my pod pet tax, I'm including pictures of my homemade no King sign. I was all proud and thinking I was a genius for thinking it up and then realized, John, 1/5 gal already thought of it. The front and the back each have a special message for the orange turd burglar. Thank you, guys. Look at this.
- [41:43]
Allison Gill
Trumpty Dumpty sat on a wall. By the way, that's a really cool drawing.
- [41:48]
Dana Goldberg
It is a really cool drawing.
- [41:50]
Allison Gill
And then on the back, Trumpty Dumpty ready to fall. Absolutely love it. Stinky broken egg. Fantastic. Thank you so much for that. That and that's awesome. I'm Glad we got to remind you of Trans Day of Visibility Anonymous. Well done. Next up, Julie pronouns she and her hello Beans, Queens and behind the scenes Beans. I like that. I wanted to share a cute story from no King Cincinnati. I made a lot of signs. I enjoy it. I make some pretty good ones and then I find friends to help put them to good use. This past week I was approached by a gentleman who wanted to take a pick of my sign. So I offered him the sign to keep keep. He was so happy telling me it was the best present he has received in a long time. I didn't think to take a picture of him with the sign from the front, but I repeatedly saw him featured in the various sign threads, proudly holding his new huge sign high above his head. Thanks for all your hard work to keep us all informed and in community with each other. For my pet tariff, I present Jeter. There are a few baseball fans in my home. Feel free to guess his breeds if you want. I don't have an exact answer, but we have two leading contenders. Let's see this sign. It says President of the United States and the dumbest on the face of the earth should be two different people.
- [43:02]
Dana Goldberg
I love that.
- [43:03]
Allison Gill
I have seen that in a ton of threads. All right, what do you think of this dog here?
- [43:07]
Dana Goldberg
Oh my goodness.
- [43:09]
Allison Gill
Pyrenees. Lab.
- [43:11]
Dana Goldberg
Yeah, maybe.
- [43:13]
Allison Gill
Yeah, yeah, look, Lab and great Pyrenees. It was the ear that gave me the Pyrenees idea spot there. Thank you so much for that, Julie.
- [43:25]
Dana Goldberg
All right, we've got rain pronouns, they, them. Hey there, Ag and dg. Thank you for all of your work at the BEANS headquarters and thank you to all the staff behind the scenes to make it happen. I'm just south of Boston in the Quincy area and I've been sitting on my hands waiting to write y'. All. But after the episode of the trans day of visibility, there was too much to say in regards to a non binary king or queen. I'm. I love this. I'm known by my wife to be the they triarch of our little family. It's something they ev that every time I hear it, it gives me a little joy. So maybe you might be able to pass it on into someone else who might like it. As well as my title, I also wanted to share with a group that I joined that have been active in called Bratz br Capital A t s. It's Braintree Area Trans Social Support Group. We meet twice a month at local sp like the Braintree Library and spend time commiserating and celebrating with other transgender people who just get it. It's been wonderful to get to meet new people in the area. I always recommend that they listen to the daily beans. My pod pet tax are both my pet children, Gene Bean and Munchy Crunchy.
- [44:39]
Allison Gill
Those are great names. Rain. Oh, my gosh, they train. I love it. I'm fine with the vatriarch, right?
- [44:46]
Dana Goldberg
I'll take a patriarchy any day I'm there.
- [44:49]
Allison Gill
I'm there every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Look at these babies. They're so cute. Thank you so much for this. All right, Jill from Brooklyn says. I like how it says Brooklyn, New York. It's just want to make sure you know it's Brooklyn, New York, not a different Brooklyn. Dear Beans, Queens. My husband and I are visiting friends and attended a rally in Studio City, la. Lots of singing, honking and cheering. I loved this sign. Thank you for keeping us informed and our spirits high. This is a good one. It says, does this ass make me. My country looks small. The answer is yes. Glad you had a good time in la, Jill. Thank you so much for that. And I'll read this next one too, from Brad. Thanks, Ladies of the Lagoons. Just wanted to share my good news from no Kings in Henrietta, New York, upstate. Last no Kings, there was an SUV that was full of douchebag chads with maga hats that drove by all day long shouting, go Trump this. No Kings. Same suv, but contained within was one douchebag chad. No hat hat. Their movement is deflating. Enclosed is a picture of my sign and my boy shadow. His sign read, I like snow, but I hate ice. Thanks for all you do.
- [45:55]
Dana Goldberg
Oh, look at the husky.
- [45:58]
Allison Gill
I assume that's a husky, right? Or a malamute.
- [46:00]
Dana Goldberg
I would think so.
- [46:02]
Allison Gill
A Siberian husky and a Shiba Inu mixed together.
- [46:04]
Dana Goldberg
Very cool mix.
- [46:08]
Allison Gill
I love it. Glasses are great, by the way. Way best value free crazy cabinet with every purchase. I love this the best. Proud to be the best value in pedophiles. It's a Little Caesar's pizza box, by the way, modified into a sign. Thank you for that.
- [46:24]
Dana Goldberg
All right, from Valerie in Oregon. No pronouns given. Sharing a book rec to restore your faith in America. It's called Lovely One Justice. Catanja Brown Jackson's memoir, A Chapter a Night has Soothed My Soul. We need eight more like her. Hang in there, everybody. Here's a photo of Stanley, who loves catnip. Stanley's.
- [46:44]
Allison Gill
Hi, I want to get high. So look at this. Yeah, Lovely One is an incredible book. Valerie, that's a really great idea. Everybody want to grab a copy of that book and just read a chapter a night? That sounds like it would put me in a much better mood to go to sleep than, you know, listen to Trump's dumbass. Read a teleprompter. Barely.
- [47:08]
Dana Goldberg
Yeah, okay, kidding.
- [47:09]
Allison Gill
Anyway, thank you all so very much for your good news. Please send us all of it. Send it all in. We want to see it. And you can do that@dailybeanspod.com and click on contact. Do you have any final thoughts before we get out of here for the weekend, my friend?
- [47:23]
Dana Goldberg
I do not. Everyone have a wonderful weekend.
- [47:26]
Allison Gill
Yes. Get all the sleep. Everyone just sleep the whole just as much. I love sleep. I'm going to have some tonight. I have an idea.
- [47:33]
Dana Goldberg
Do it.
- [47:34]
Allison Gill
Do it. I have a feeling everybody will see you on Monday. Until then, please take care of yourself, take care of each other, take care of the plan planet, take care of your mental health and take care of your family.
- [47:41]
Dana Goldberg
I'm AG and I'm didn't. What do you mean? I'm ag.
- [47:46]
Allison Gill
Sorry, sorry, sorry. I've been. I've been AG and I've been DG and them's the Beans.
- [47:59]
Production Announcer
The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Allison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg. Sound design and editing is by Desiree McFarlane with art and web design by Joelle Reader with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants and the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information Please visit msw media.com msw media.