Podcast Summary: The Daily Beans – "Refried Beans | SCOTUS Pinky Promise"

Date of Aired Episode: November 14, 2023
Hosts: Allison Gill (AG), Dana Goldberg (DG)
Special Guest: Glenn Kirschner
Presented by: MSW Media

Overview

In this episode of The Daily Beans, hosts Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg break down major headlines in politics, justice, and social policy with their trademark blend of sharp analysis and wit. This episode features notable discussions surrounding the Supreme Court's new ethics rules, the latest twists in the Trump legal orbit—including bombshells from Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis proffers—the Secret Service incident involving Naomi Biden's home, Trumpworld’s plans for government loyalty screenings, and the congressional wrangling over a potential government shutdown. The episode is capped by an in-depth interview with former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner about the ongoing Trump trials, judicial integrity, and implications of Trump’s rhetoric.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sports Beat: Gotham FC’s Cinderella Story

[01:24 – 04:15]

• AG and DG open with reactions to Gotham FC clinching the NWSL championship in a dramatic match marked by Megan Rapinoe's injury and Ali Krieger’s fairy-tale send-off.
• Quote (Dana): "The Gotham FC, if you follow the teams, they were last in the entire NWSL last year, and now they won the national championship." [03:02]
• Discussion underscores the importance of supporting women’s sports.

2. Supreme Court’s “Code of Conduct” – All Optics, No Teeth

[04:15 – 05:07]

• The Supreme Court introduces a new code of conduct amid ethics scandals, but omits any enforcement mechanism.
• Quote (AG): “A code of ethics is not binding unless there’s a mechanism to investigate possible violations and enforce the rules.” [04:51]
• AG and DG express skepticism about the effectiveness or sincerity of these "rules."

3. Political Round-Up

- Tim Scott Drops Out

[05:07 – 06:13]

• Discussion of Senator Tim Scott exiting the GOP presidential race without alerting staff.
• Quote (AG): “How much do you have to loathe your staff or disrespect them to have them find out when everybody else does?” [05:49]
• Colorful banter about campaign antics and possible VP aspirations.

4. Hot Notes: Trump’s Legal Team Turncoat Tapes (ABC News Leaks)

[06:13 – 11:00]

Key Points:

• ABC obtains proffer videos from ex-Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, offering new insight into the post-2020 election period.
• Jenna Ellis: Allegedly told by Dan Scavino that “the boss [Trump] is not going to leave [the White House] under any circumstances” in December 2020.
  Quote (Ellis): "[Scavino said,] 'the boss is not going to leave under any circumstances. We're just going to stay in power.'" [08:30]
• Sidney Powell: Detailed her plans to seize voting machines; admitted to little background in election law yet was primed to serve as a "special counsel" for Trump's fraud theories.
  Quote (Powell): "Did I know anything about election law? No." [08:06]
• Powell claims frequent communication with Trump and recounts the infamous Dec. 18th Oval Office meeting about seizing voting machines.
• AG notes timing—Scavino’s remarks precede Trump's “will be wild” January 6th tweet—significant for investigations.

5. Secret Service Opens Fire Outside Naomi Biden’s Home

[11:00 – 12:57]

• Reaction to the late-night security incident involving a government vehicle outside President Biden’s granddaughter’s residence.
• No injuries reported; D.C. faces high car theft rates.
• Quote (Dana): “All of this is just a little bit scary that people think it’s okay to do this kind of thing. So I’m glad no one was killed…” [12:48]

6. Trump Allies’ “Loyalty Army” & Project 2025

[12:57 – 15:25]

• Deep-dive into reports (Axios) of an organized TrumpWorld effort to pre-screen and vet thousands for key government jobs in a potential second term.
• Heritage Foundation’s "Project 2025" and its policy book are highlighted, with Johnny McEntee and Stephen Miller steering the effort.
• Quote (AG): “Thousands of Trump first loyalists would be ready for legal, judicial, defense, regulatory and domestic policy jobs.” [13:39]
• The plan—AI-assisted “screening,” ideological loyalty above credentials—signals an unprecedented effort to reshape U.S. governance.

7. Congressional Shutdown Showdown: "Laddered CR"

[15:25 – 20:14]

• House Speaker Mike Johnson promotes a stopgap spending plan (continuing resolution, or CR) to prevent a government shutdown, facing opposition from the far-right but support from Democrats.
• Key Dems like Hakeem Jeffries and even Senate leaders signal openness to the plan—as it “contains no spending cuts, no poison-pill policy riders,” indicating GOP concessions.
• CR splits funding deadlines into two “cliffs”—January and February—delaying key issues like Israel/Ukraine aid and border security.
• Quote (AG): “I really wish that they would sort of position this... that the Republicans are caving to the Democrats demands." [20:14]
• Anticipation of future high-drama fiscal standoffs.

8. In-Depth Interview: Glenn Kirschner on Trump’s Trials, Gag Orders, and Judicial Integrity

[21:09 – 33:20]

Highlights:

• Kirschner deeply critiques the judicial system’s leniency with Trump, particularly over violations of gag orders.
• Quote (Glenn Kirschner): "If any other defendant who was on release in a felony trial pending trial said that the prosecutor handling his case is a deranged thug, he would be in pretrial detention." [22:15]
• Expresses frustration that both Judge Chutkan and Special Counsel Jack Smith are hesitant to take decisive action (pretrial detention or recusal motions):
  Quote (Kirschner): "It seems like neither Jack Smith nor the judge want to be the one to go forward with this." [27:40]
• On Judge Aileen Cannon and impartiality, Kirschner underscores the conflict of interest when a judge presides over the case of the very president who appointed her.
  Quote: "If there was any other kind of relationship where that judge owed their incredibly prestigious job to the very defendant over whose case that judge was presiding, that judge would remove themselves." [31:45]
• Importance of public confidence in the judicial process; calls for transparency and adherence to norms regardless of defendant status.

9. Listener Good News, Corrections, and Pet Pics

[33:29 – 45:43]

• Heartwarming community stories:
  • Teacher supporting students and celebrating naturalization.
  • Listeners sharing stories of resilience, collective bargaining campaigns, and recovery from loss.
  • Shout-outs to small progressive businesses.
• Classic “what the mutt?” pet guessing game and crowd-sourced activism—beans listeners encouraged to support teachers in Virginia’s union struggle for duty-free lunch.
• Compliment-sandwich corrections: Listening community keeps the tone supportive and constructive.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "A code of ethics is not binding unless there’s a mechanism to investigate possible violations and enforce the rules." – Allison Gill [04:51]
• "We're not going to leave under any circumstances. We're just going to stay in power." – Jenna Ellis quoting Dan Scavino [08:30]
• "Did I know anything about election law? No." – Sidney Powell [08:06]
• "Thousands of Trump first loyalists would be ready for legal, judicial, defense, regulatory and domestic policy jobs." – AG [13:39]
• “If any other defendant... said that the prosecutor handling his case is a deranged thug, he would be in pretrial detention.” – Glenn Kirschner [22:15]
• "It seems like neither Jack Smith nor the judge want to be the one to go forward with this." – Glenn Kirschner [27:40]
• "If there was any other kind of relationship where that judge owed their... job to the very defendant... that judge would remove themselves." – Glenn Kirschner [31:45]

Timestamps for Segments of Interest

• Gotham FC win and sports talk: [01:24 – 04:15]
• SCOTUS ethics discussion: [04:15 – 05:07]
• Trump legal team proffers (ABC leak): [06:13 – 11:00]
• Secret Service shooting/Naomi Biden: [11:00 – 12:57]
• Trump’s Project 2025 loyalty operation: [12:57 – 15:25]
• Congress shutdown “laddered CR”: [15:25 – 20:14]
• Glenn Kirschner interview: [21:09 – 33:20]
• Listener good news/corrections: [33:29 – 45:43]

Tone and Takeaways

• Tone: Witty, urgent, and deeply engaged. The hosts rely on snark and camaraderie but maintain serious respect for the gravity of the issues discussed, especially threats to democracy and institutional integrity.
• Takeaways:
  • Major cracks in institutional accountability—from the Supreme Court’s self-regulation to judicial handling of Trump’s cases—loom large.
  • Trumpworld’s increasing push towards government control through pre-selection of loyal “foot soldiers” is flagged as an existential crisis.
  • The government shutdown standoff remains fluid, with surprising bipartisan maneuvering.
  • The listener community is vocal, active, and mobilized—central to the show’s character.

Closing

The episode wraps up with gratitude toward the listening community, encouragement to stay civically engaged, and a reminder to "take care of yourselves, each other, and vote blue over Q." The personal touch—teacher stories, grassroots activism, and pet shenanigans—offers a note of hope and humor in tumultuous times.