Walz Against the Wall

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Five

Episode: Walz Against the Wall
Date: December 29, 2025
Panel: Rosanna Scotto, Kellyanne Conway, Jessica Tarlov, Guy Benson, Tyrus

---

Overview

This episode of "The Five" dissects several headline topics, beginning with a massive fraud scandal in Minnesota reportedly costing taxpayers billions, and its political and social repercussions. The conversation expands to Trump’s diplomatic efforts with Ukraine, Russia, and Israel; Nancy Pelosi's predictions and the political climate heading to the 2026 midterms; controversial comments from LA’s mayor regarding Latino Border Patrol agents; and closes with lighter segments on current events and uplifting anecdotes.

---

1. Minnesota Fraud Scandal & Governor Walz ([00:33]–[12:33])

Theme:
Allegations of widespread state and federal fraud in Minnesota, totaling up to $9 billion, centered on daycare and child nutrition programs linked to the Somali community and oversight failures.

Key Points & Discussion:

• Viral Exposé: Journalist Nick Shirley's video, which shows daycares receiving government funds but operating with “no kids inside,” garners over 114 million views ([00:33]–[02:01]).
• Political Fallout: Governor Tim Walz's office claims years of anti-fraud efforts. Panel scrutinizes this, citing the scale and persistence of the fraud.
  • Kellyanne Conway: “A learning center that has no students… can’t spell the word learning correctly. ...The Democrats who won’t do the nonpartisan thing and get our taxpayer dollars back, are either complicit or inept. And I think in this case, Tim Walz is both.” ([03:42]–[06:30])
• Sensitivity & Scapegoating: Discussion on reluctance to pursue investigations due to fear of being called racist or Islamophobic, as the fraud heavily involves individuals from the Somali community.
  • Guy Benson: “They basically said, all right, investigators in the Waltz administration, ...if you look into us too closely, we will call you racist publicly. That’s the New York Times reporting.” ([06:49])
  • Jessica Tarlov: “...fraud should be stamped out everywhere...people took Covid money, abused that while folks were dying, while kids weren’t allowed to go to school.” ([08:17])
• Call for Accountability:
  • Tyrus: “He [Walz] needs to resign. I would resign if I was the governor and this happened on my watch… I will be racist. I will be islamophobic because I’m a moneyist. I want to know why money is. So if that makes me racist, ...so what?” ([10:48])

Notable Quotes:

• “We don’t pick the races or the ethnicity of the criminals. They’ve picked themselves. This whole scapegoating is like the new PC Woke.” —Kellyanne Conway ([03:42])
• “There’s crooks on both sides. ...But here, you caught somebody, you got a whole group, you have a whole country using America to launder their money.” —Tyrus ([10:48])
• “The biggest story about this came from the New York Times and it made liberals look terrible.” —Jessica Tarlov ([08:17])

---

2. Trump’s Peacemaking Diplomacy ([13:33]–[22:24])

Theme:
President Trump’s recent hosting of world leaders at Mar-a-Lago—Zelensky, Netanyahu, and a call with Putin—spurs discussion about U.S. diplomatic efforts, the Ukraine war, and perceptions of Trump as a “peacemaker.”

Key Points & Discussion:

• Trump’s Meetings:
  • Trump hosts Zelensky and Netanyahu, claims “lot of progress” ([13:33]–[15:00]).
  • Has a “productive phone call” with Putin, defuses a negative press question ([13:59]).
  • Welcomes the press for lunch: “If you’d like, you can come up and have lunch like you did yesterday. ...Some of them think it’s terrible. It’s a bribe, but you know, a bribe for $25.” ([14:38])
• Panel’s Analysis:
  • Rosanna: Observes Trump’s calm demeanor, credits “balmy Palm Beach” for smoothing the tone ([15:15]).
  • Guy Benson: Expresses skepticism about Russian cooperation—“unless Putin and the Russians are willing to play ball… for now, it’s all talk.” ([16:44])
  • Jessica Tarlov: Compares this to the “Helsinki press conference” and says the idea that “Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed” is ludicrous ([18:24]).
• Israel-Hamas Peace: Panel shows hope but skepticism, with Jessica saying, “less war is better… but it is not finished” ([20:32]).

Notable Quotes:

• “He’s accused of being on the golf course every day. This guy is literally the peacemaker and deal maker.” —D ([15:00])
• “He [Trump] said something like 95%. I hope he’s right about that. ...unless Putin and the Russians are willing to play ball… for now, it’s all talk.” —Guy Benson ([16:44])
• “Trump had the audacity to say Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed. Zelensky...broke a little bit of a smile at that point, because you have never heard anything more ludicrous…” —Jessica Tarlov ([18:24])

---

3. 2026 Midterms & Pelosi’s Prediction ([23:07]–[31:15])

Theme:
Nancy Pelosi’s bold forecast that Democrats will retake the House; the panel debates the party’s prospects—especially with young men, shifting economic politics, and the changing Democratic coalition.

Key Points & Discussion:

• Pelosi’s Prediction: Declares, “when the Democrats win the House back...” ([23:26])
• Gen Z & Young Men:
  • Tyrus: Argues the Democratic Party alienates men and masculinity, says, “They haven’t changed anything. ...They attacked masculinity as a whole. Anyone who peed standing up was a problem.” ([24:10])
  • Jessica: Cites reversal in Gen Z’s voting and focus on economic issues, not favorability
    • “People vote because of the economy. ...10% unemployment for young Americans.” ([27:02])
• Republican Strategy:
  • Kellyanne: Says GOP must “finish their sentences”—connect economic growth to average people’s lives, and involve young men in “ownership society” (own homes, start families).
    • “Inflation is not a sentence. Afghanistan, Biden, Pelosi, these are not sentences. They're barely words.” ([28:20])
• Party Identity:
  • Rosanna: Says Pelosi is out of touch, “It’s not the Democratic Party that Nancy Pelosi left when she was House Speaker.” ([30:40])

Notable Quotes:

• “There are just two genders. There is this and that. I don’t. Neopronouns is just us being bored during the pandemic.” —Tyrus ([24:10])
• “We are smart enough and young men are smart enough and thirsty enough to get the full problem and solution together.” —Kellyanne Conway ([28:20])

---

4. LA Mayor Bass & Latino Border Patrol Agents ([31:44]–[36:24])

Theme:
Controversy erupts as LA Mayor Karen Bass laments Latinos joining the Border Patrol, questioning their motives and causing backlash on the panel.

Key Points & Discussion:

• Bass's Comment: Suggests Hispanic agents have a “difficult time” due to their ethnicity and financial motivations ([31:56]).
  • Tyrus: Condemns the remarks, calls for her resignation.
    • “That is the most incendiary, disgusting, racist thing I have ever heard said to a group of people by someone who's in leadership.” ([32:37])
• Panel Reaction:
  • Kellyanne: Emphasizes celebration of Hispanic participation in law enforcement and their commitment to U.S. values ([33:55]).
  • Rosanna: Points out that recent immigrants, having followed the law, may be particularly offended. Wonders whether any Latin American country would tolerate U.S.-style border chaos ([35:10]).
• Deportation Debate:
  • Guy notes ICE statistics showing most people deported had criminal convictions or charges ([35:59]).

Notable Quotes:

• “Just because you’re Latino doesn’t mean you don’t respect law and order, doesn’t mean that you don’t want your borders closed. ...Someone should be calling for her job.” —Tyrus ([32:37])
• “I think that it should not be denigrated, it should actually be celebrated that so many Hispanics want to grab that badge and serve...” —Kellyanne Conway ([33:55])

---

5. Lighter Fast Takes & “One More Thing” ([36:41]–[41:08])

Segments:

• Lane Kiffin’s Shopping Cart Caper: Panel jokes about LSU’s coach carrying groceries home in a store basket rather than paying for a bag fee ([36:41]).
• Firefighter Dog Rescue: “Spanky” the dog saved from a storm drain ([38:48]).
• 104-Year-Old WWII Vet Plays Anthem: Touching crowd response at hockey game ([39:31]).
• Bear Sighting & Car Crash: Entertaining stories to round out the show ([40:09]).

Quotes & Memorable Moments:

• “He should resign. Stealing a cart. He stole that. That’s store property.” —Tyrus, humorously applying resignation logic to bag fees ([37:10])
• “God bless him. National treasure.” —On 104-year-old vet performing the anthem ([40:07])

---

Highlight Timestamps

• [02:43] — Tense exchange about scapegoating and the scale of the Minnesota fraud
• [06:49] — Race-baiting as an obstacle to investigation, NYT corroboration
• [10:48] — Tyrus's fiery resignation call for Gov. Walz
• [14:38] — Trump offers lunch to attending press
• [16:44] — Guy Benson analyzes Trump’s Ukraine optimism, Putin skepticism
• [24:10] — Tyrus’s extended criticism of Democratic stance on masculinity and young men
• [32:37] — Tyrus's condemnation of Karen Bass’s comments
• [39:31] — WWII vet plays national anthem; emotional highlight

---

Tone & Takeaways: The episode mixes tenacious investigative discussion, pointed political critique, and irreverent banter. Panelists are openly critical about public figures' actions, with particular scrutiny of Democratic officials’ handling of fraud, border policy, and outreach to young men. Discussions are blunt and combative, but leavened with humor, especially in lighter segments.

For Listeners New to the Episode:
You'll come away with fresh details on the Minnesota fraud case, honest perspectives (often critical) on both parties’ pitfalls, and spirited punditry on the evolving American political scene—punctuated by memorable commentary and a dose of Fox-style sarcasm.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, this is Joe from Vanta. In today's digital world, compliance regulations are changing constantly and earning customer trust has never mattered more. Vanta helps companies get compliant fast and stay secure with the most advanced AI.

[B]

Automation and continuous monitoring out there.

[A]

So whether you're a startup going for your first SoC2 or ISO 27001 or a growing enterprise managing vendor risk, Vanta makes it quick, easy and scalable. And I'm not just saying that because I work here. Get [e-mail].

[C]

Hello everyone. I'm Rosanna Scotto along with Kellyanne Conway, Jessica Tarlow, Guy Benson and Tyrus. It's five o' clock in New York City and this is the five. Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz is playing defense as the FBI and Trump administration investigates shocking allegations of fraud, rocking his state to the tune of $9 billion and potentially more. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posting video of federal agents currently on the ground in Minneapolis. She says they're conducting a massive investigation on child care and other rampant fraud. This comes amid a viral video that now has nearly 114 million views on X, where independent journalist Nick Shirley appears to show daycares and other businesses that receive millions in state funds with no kids inside. And apparently one of the businesses in question had a little trouble spelling the word learning.

[A]

Watch.

[B]

There's no one here right now. It's midday on a weekday. If you were to try to go inside, it's completely closed. There's no windows, no nothing.

[D]

It's.

[B]

And like I said, they literally spelled the word wrong on their sign.

[A]

This is open.

[B]

And blatant fraud taking place here inside of Minnesota.

[C]

Well, Nick Shirley's video went viral. Governor Tim Waltz's office sent Fox News this statement saying, quote, the governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and ask the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action. He has strengthened his oversight. Meanwhile, the man behind the shocking expose on the alleged fraud, Nick Shirley, is defending his journalism and explaining why he thinks others in the press are reluctant to even touch this story.

[B]

A kindergartner could figure out that there's fraud going on nowadays because it's Somalians.

[A]

That are committing this fraud.

[B]

People are scared to be calling Islamophobic.

[A]

Racist in which has nothing to do.

[B]

With what's going on because fraud is fraud. It doesn't matter if it's a black person, white person, Asian person, Mexican. Fraud is fraud.

[C]

And media outlets like CNN and MSNBC have largely ignored the story, except when it's to criticize it, like this commentator.

[E]

If There is fraud there that should be fully investigated no matter where it.

[D]

Is, whether it's in a Democratic led state, a Republican led state.

[E]

The question is, you know, why is.

[D]

This a priority in a different kind of way?

[E]

The politicization of the DOJ and the FBI is undeniable.

[D]

This Mali immigrant population may have been involved in some way. Those people are being scapegoated and that community is being scapegoated in a way that certainly serves the far right.

[C]

What she didn't say was the investigations actually started under Joe Biden. Kellyanne.

[E]

Yes.

[C]

And Governor Walsh. Where was he while these investigations started?

[D]

Look, this is not new. This is not just him walking around with an iPhone. We've had 78 indictments, Rosanna, 57 convictions. 91% of those who have been indicted or convicted are Somali. We don't pick the races or the ethnicity of the criminals. They've picked themselves. This whole scapegoating is like the new PC Woke. They want to police your thoughts and police your words, but they don't want to police federal funds. Ladies and gentlemen, this is your business. This is federal taxpayer dollars going to Minnesota. 18, 18 billion that we know about, possibly one half of that is gone. It was being funneled through money transfer programs. Now, that's difficult to detect. And it went for things like autism and children's nutrition and shelter and education. All positive feel good phraseology, great public goods for. And I bet they also probably were able to raise some private funds this way as well. But you know, I feel, Rosanna, ever since Doge happened a year ago, the Democrats have been fighting tooth and nail against anyone wanting to touch their money, which of course is our money. And fast forward we look at things like this, which is so outrageous. The scale of this is just remarkable. The money may have gone to a lot of people in Somalia, not Somalis living in Minnesota, but in Somalia. And I think that when Tim Waltz sends a statement to Fox News that says the governor has been aggressively fighting fraud and it gives one example when we see what's happening. A learning center that has no students, no kids there can't spell the word learning correctly. A restaurant that said it was providing thousands of meals per week under a program called Feeding Our Future this. And yet the whole place has a capacity of less than 100 people. And it was closed when the reporters stopped by. So when Tim Waltz says that he is ferreting out the fraud, that falls apart. When you see this happening on spot, these Democrats who won't do the nonpartisan thing and get our taxpayer dollars back, are either complicit or inept. And I think in this case, Tim Waltz is both. Last point, he bragged about Minnesota child care program in the debate where he got his butt kicked by JD Vance just a year ago. He brought that up. No, it wasn't even part of the question. So he's all over this. Keith Ellison, the ag, all over this. The lg, the lieutenant governor recently had a. She wore some Somali. I think she had a Jeep on. I mean, for Somali tv. What do they do? It's always performative. We want our money back. This is our business.

[C]

So, Guy, I'm just wondering, I mean, this YouTuber Nick Shirley, he says in one day he found over $100 million worth of investigative fraud and one day that he did so why didn't this investigation move forward? Was it because of the name calling?

[B]

Well, it did to an extent because of the indictments and the convictions that Kellyanne referenced. But it hasn't been enough. So I'm glad to see that investigators are on the ground going door to door now. This should have been done on a wider scale, I think, for a very long. Another point that Shirley made there was saying, well, I think this was because people are afraid to be called Islamophobes or racists. And that's not just his theory, by the way. The New York Times did a story about this a number of weeks ago and they confirmed that one of the ways that this grift, this theft went on for as long as it did was because of explicit threats of race bait. They basically said, all right, investigators in the Waltz administration, this blue state, if you look into us too closely, we will call you racist publicly. That's the New York Times reporting behind this as well. One other point, Kellyanne, it's an amazing thing that the governor's office put out the statement that they did. The governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud. Really? That's their line. That is either a lie, which I think it is, or it is one of the biggest self indictments I've ever seen. If the government has been working in Minnesota under this governor to crack down on fraud, think about the epic failure that they're admitting to, given what we know about this scandal so far. I think as the FBI director just said, this is the tip of the iceberg. Not just Minnesota, elsewhere as well.

[C]

Jessica, I see you tipping your pen down. You're ready to say something. What is the political fallout? Does Governor Walz have a shot at a third term?

[E]

It's going to get incredibly complicated for him. And I'm sure that he and his team are talking about whether he could mount another. You know, I don't want to say challenge because Donald Trump won't be running again, but obviously he's been considering 2028. I think that that will be more difficult when something like this has gone on in your state while you were in office, even if you are not personally involved in it. The program that he was talking about that you referenced, Kellyanne, is school lunches, which I've seen. No fraud about that. That kids go to school and they get lunch as they should. Okay, yes, school lunch is a good thing. Sometimes breakfast, too. Even Nick Shirley's reporting. There's no way that this kid walking around uncovered $100 million worth of fraud on his own. There have been tons of people working behind the scenes quietly, including independent local journalists that have been exposing this. I don't know about the veracity of every single thing that he's gone and seen that's being debated online. But obviously there's a huge problem here. It does Democrats no favors to get partisan about this and to dig in and say, oh, it absolutely couldn't be happening because it's my team that this happened to. The argument that it has not been being covered is ludicrous. People don't want to just do simple Google searches. The biggest story about this came from the New York Times and it made liberals look terrible. That's where Guy was referencing emails from people worked at feeding our future saying, we're going to call you a bunch of racists. That was published in the New York Times. It wasn't published in a far right publication. It was published in the Times itself. And this goes back to the Garland DOJ when they started prosecuting all of this. I'll say lastly, that fraud should be stamped out everywhere. You should take it seriously. And I'm particularly upset. And I've said this now third time that people took Covid money, abused that while folks were dying, while kids weren't allowed to go to school. The country was completely in uproar. Rightly so. People scared out of their minds. But Donald Trump and his administration has not taken fraud seriously. You have Philip S form, who was the health care executive. Speaking of health care, which is part of this, a nursing home mogul. I didn't even know you could be one. Orchestrated the largest health care fraud scheme in U.S. history. $1.3 billion commuted by Trump. David Gentile, the private equity guy, 1.6 billion. He defrauded people. Trump commuted his sentence. And then an oldie, but a goodie, obviously, Trump University, which had to pay $25 million settlement because it was a scam. Do not go out there and say this is all a liberal problem. If you don't want to look under the hood of of your own car.

[A]

Cyrus, he needs to resign. I would resign if I was the governor and this happened on my watch. At the amount of this money, I'd be ashamed. I'd be. This happened on my watch to argue and say, I've been working on this for years. They're still open. They're still waiting for the kids to come. And to. Only thing that I'm seeing is the criticizing, oh, well, we don't know if he found $111 million. Okay, well, he's just 8,900,000,000 short like this. To me, complicit is a very polite word. But I will be racist. I will be Islamic phobias because I'm a moneyist. I want to know why money is. So if that makes me racist, if that makes me Hitler Jr. Because I want to know what people from what country are taking our taxpayer money at this point. So what? We're all that anyways. So when they make those threats and they were able to do that for such a long time, could you imagine if I got pulled over by the police for speeding and he went to give me a ticket? I'm like, sir, if you give me that ticket, you're racist. And he didn't give me that ticket. I wish I would have known about this a long time ago, but I wouldn't do that because I have integrity. This whole thing has nothing to do with Republican, Democrat. It has absolutely nothing to do with it. There is. There's crooks on both sides. They've been running the show for a long time. But here, you caught somebody, you got a whole group, you have a whole country using America to launder their money. It's basic, plain and simple. The only difference is they're not selling drugs and they're not going criminal things. They're literally walking right into the bank and getting our American money and doing what they want with it. So to make the argument about, well, he's this or that, no, he's just as guilty as the people involved because it happened on his watch. And the right thing to do is resign, period.

[C]

Tip of the iceberg, maybe. Let's see. Can't be just there.

[A]

That's a big tip at 9 billion.

[C]

I was about to say it can't be just there, right? All right, up next, from Ukraine to Israel, the peacemaker in chief, President Trump is working his charm at Mar a Lago.

[B]

Hey, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. One of the perks about having four kids that you know about is actually getting a direct line to the big man up north. And this year he wants you to know the best gift that you can give someone, someone is the gift of Mint Mobile's unlimited wireless for $15 a month. Now you don't even need to wrap it.

[E]

Give it a try. @mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to 15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes if network's busy, taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com Stand straight, walk proud.

[D]

The commander in peace is working his charm down in Mar a Lago. Earlier today, President Trump was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the future of Gaza. The talks come just one day after he made, quote, a lot of progress with Ukrainian President Zelensky. President Trump is also touting a productive phone call with Russian President Putin earlier today.

[E]

Yesterday there was an explosion overnight and the Russians say that Ukraine tried to hit the residents of President Putin. Do you have any information?

[B]

No, I don't know about it, actually.

[E]

And I don't.

[B]

I just heard about it actually, but.

[E]

I don't know about it.

[B]

That would be too bad. That would not be good. We spoke at 8 o' clock in the morning hour time.

[C]

And it was a very productive talk.

[B]

I mean, we have a few very thorny issues, as you can imagine.

[D]

And apparently peace is breaking out with the press, too. President Trump has been offering lunch to the reporters covering his meetings with Zelensky and Netanyahu.

[C]

Watch.

[A]

We'll see you in a couple of hours if you'd like.

[B]

And if you'd like, you can come up and have lunch like you did yesterday. Would you like that or not? Do you want that? Because some of them think it's terrible. It's a bride, but you know, a bribe for $25.

[E]

I don't know.

[A]

If you'd like, you can go. And if you don't, you can stand in a driveway and melt.

[B]

Have a good time.

[A]

Go have a good lunch.

[D]

I love it. Rosanna. Here is President Trump being the ever gracious, generous host even to the press. But let's get back to the serious parts of diplomacy. He's accused of being on the golf course every day. This guy is literally the peacemaker and deal maker. While everybody else is having a nice.

[C]

Week, week off, he's had major world leaders come visit him at Mar A Lago. That says a lot in the last two days. But I'm going to say I think the weather in Palm beach has really calmed the President down. Did you notice how deliberate his tone was? Nobody could rail him up. He was not taking any bait from the press, offered them lunch, was, you know, not accepting bribes from anybody, any great stories. And even when talked about, you know, how's the Zelensky was going to handle this. When he got back to Ukraine, he said he had the possibility open that he would go down and talk to the parliament there to help move along talks there. I thought that he was very deliberate, very calm. And I'm going to blame it on the balmy Palm Beach.

[D]

Palm beach weather guy, Benson. About this time eight years ago, right before New Year's, we had a cocktail party for the press and he said to hope Hicks had made get them the nicest hors d' oeuvres we had.

[A]

And we did.

[D]

And I will tell you, some of them were really putting on the dog, really dressed up. They put out a photo from that in the white. In the white and yellow, the White and Gold ballroom. And a lot of people criticized the press, including other members of the press, for sort of partying with the president, accepting his food and his drinks. Do you think that this is a problem? I don't. But what do you think is a full working member of the press, they accept food and maybe the president's charms?

[B]

I mean, I think that they're happy to get chummy and attend all sorts of parties with powerful people, regardless of who they are. They might not do it again because of this mini pile on, because it's Trump. He would be the exception rather than the rule. Here's my thought on the negotiations and the conversations with Zelenskyy today. I like the optimism from Trump. He's saying that we've got most of it ironed out. He said something like 95%. I hope he's right about that. What we've seen is relentless optimism from him on a lot of different areas of the world stage and these geopolitical tricky conundrums, but it's backed with toughness, as the Iranians found out the hard way, as Hamas, their puppets, found out the hard way. And I think that maybe Putin and the Russians are going to have to find out the hard way a little bit more before anything actually gets achieved. Because I think there's a lot of discussion on TV and in D.C. about what Zelenskyy might agree to and what the Ukrainian people might ratify in some sort, you know, some sort of conversation or a vote that would be, that would be taken. I'm not sure. And I was talking to Secretary Pompeo, the former Secretary of State, on Fox and Friends this morning. We haven't really seen any indication in terms of behavior from Putin, let alone words even, that he's in a deal making mood at all. So they can line up a fabulous deal and the Ukrainians can endorse it and the Trump administration can tout it, unless Putin and the Russians are willing to play ball. People who started this war then for now, it's all talk. I hope it gets to the next stage.

[D]

Jessica, what do you think about that? I mean, can this deal happen without Putin? Do you think he can be isolated by the US By Europe? You know, NATO will come to the.

[E]

Rescue of Ukraine if they're willing to sanction him into oblivion. And there are a lot of members of the Republican Party, more old school Republicans, like Guy, who feel like that's the right approach to that and that Putin has every time shown a list of demands, pretended that they were different than the time before, and it's exactly the same. He has never changed the goalposts. He wants things that Zelensky cannot agree to. It would be turning over his country to Russia. And Rosanna points out that Trump didn't get riled up. And the weather, it looks spectacular. I wish that I was also in warm weather. But he wasn't riled up because Zelensky played this perfectly and has learned from the terrible Oval Office meeting with JD Vance, when everyone freaked out on each other, that he has to just sit there and grin and bear it. And I felt a little bit like I was watching a redux of the Helsinki press conference in 2018 when Trump came out and he said, you know, I talked to Putin about the election interference and he told me he didn't do it and I completely trust him. You've heard similar sentiments from Steve Witkoff, who's supposed to be getting us a great deal. Putin's a really good guy. He's not going to do anything. The sentence that matters the most is that Trump had the audacity to say Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed. Zelensky, a comedian by trade, broke a little bit of a smile at that point, because you have never heard anything more ludicrous than the idea that Putin wants Zelensky to succeed. And you saw this morning on Fox, Fox and Friends, I think that the deputy National Security Adviser, Victoria Coats saw that footage and said, I think Zelensky can be forgiven after four years of war to not be thinking Russia's intentions for Ukraine are the best. Zelensky also similar sentiment in the sit.

[D]

Down with President Trump if he offered them.

[E]

I went to Bedminster. I was, I was sitting there with you at the same table at that charity event. So I de facto ate his food. And I still don't really like everything.

[D]

Oh, by the way, we donated to a legitimate education.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Yes, but.

[E]

Yeah, of course, yes. Oh, it was a minute.

[D]

It was just quickly. Before we close it out with Tyrus on Israel, you've got to be happy with the progress.

[E]

I am overjoyed beyond belief that those hostages have come home. I want to see what a sustainable peace looks like. I am a Pollyanna at heart that thinks that we can get a two state solution at some point out of this. I hope that is the case. But less war is better than more war and we are in that camp. But it is not finished.

[D]

Tyrus. We should remind everyone Trump doesn't need to do any of this.

[A]

No, he's four years. He was four years behind the ball when this started. But I just like to. When you come into a man's house, a man will offer you food and drink. That's kind of the staple. Mar a lago is the president's house. It's where he lives. It's not too far from mine. I can see where all the wealthy people live from my barn, where I hide at. But he had four years. Zelensky, Putin had four years to do whatever they want. The entire world did whatever they want. So. And president has. The president has proven over and over again that he's pushing peace in every other country but these two particular countries. One of the things about war, there was a lot of spoils. And again, when you go back to the Biden, the letter B needs to be a big word in his administration because it's the billion. Everything was a billion dollars. Kamala's campaign. Billion dollars. All billions of billions that went to Ukraine. Billions and billions apparently in Minnesota. We're just. We still gotta find them. I don't even wanna think about California. The president is dealing with smart men who are like, we've been able to do it our way. This way. The war was good for them. They were making the politicians, not the poor people in the country dealing with this. So there was no reason for them to play ball because they were getting it their way. The longer the war meant, the more weapons they could buy, the more things they could get, the more funding President Trump has stepped in. He says, look, we're not going to give you any more money. We're going to help you, but we're going to with the focus being on peace. So I think the Nobel Peace Prize, if he doesn't have six of them by the time his administration is over, the Nobel Peace Prize, much like the Emmy when it comes to the Gutfeld show, is irrelevant.

[D]

Up next, nasty Nancy Pelosi goes on a tear and making a bold prediction about the 2026 midterm.

[E]

This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series the Life of.

[A]

Jesus, A listening experience that will provide.

[B]

Hope, comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told.

[A]

Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[B]

Welcome back. The fight for 2026 in the midterm is already heating up and Congress's most famous stock picking savant, Nancy Pelosi, of course, well, she's making a pretty bold call about who's getting the gavel after next year.

[A]

So if the Democrats win the House back.

[D]

Yeah, no, no, when, when the Democrats.

[C]

Win the House back, then we will.

[D]

I'm busy and focused on winning the House for the Democrats, making Hakeem Jeffrey.

[C]

The Speaker of the House and to take us to a better place.

[B]

All right, well, Dem is also hoping that next year is the year that they win back the bros. According to NBC, quote, the fight for young men is intensifying ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats believe they're making progress after Trump's gains helped with young men and helped him rather win in 2024. Tyrus, a couple things here to start with you two parter. Number one, you called Trump's win ahead of almost anyone else four months out. Yeah, last year. So I want to get your crystal ball on 26. And then do you think the Democrats are making progress on young men?

[A]

On young men? No, absolutely not. They haven't changed anything. The game hasn't changed. They're just trying to change words that don't make sense to them. They take a word and they change it around. Like Hitler no longer is specific to one individual evil human being. It's now anyone who they disagree with. White men are still a problem. Anytime a white man is successful or is the best in his class, he can't be celebrated. He can't this. Because why? Because he's an oppressor. He's this, he's that. That stuff matters, but it also doesn't affect. It's not just white dudes. It's all men. See that. See, men, we don't all sit around and look to see what color we are. When we form bonds and friendships, men, we work together, we strive together. Men form bonds. I grow up together. When you see one particular group be attacked, it's only a matter of time before it's your turn. And they didn't just attack white men. They attacked masculinity as a whole. Anyone who peed standing up was a problem. So there's no way to get that back. The young, it's just like, how did the. How did everybody get so liberal, you know, years ago during the 70s, because of stuff that Nixon did and said and the administration said that turned the young people off. This is something that they have to accept. You cannot change things in any walk of life without saying, recognizing that I need to change. And the things I did to you previously, this crazy idea, I apologize for, we were wrong. There are just two genders. There is this and that. And I don't. Neopronouns is just us being bored during the pandemic. Take ownership of the things you do. Then you could have a clean slate and people would be like, hey, that's it. But just saying, well, we got it wrong. We had to hide the autopsy. All the things that they're doing is because the people who cause the problems for the real Democrats, the real people who want to help everyone, are still making money. It's still more important to them to keep going. The same people who are making decisions for billionaire Biden when he wasn't able to make them are still the ones calling the shots, unfortunately, in the Democratic Party. So until they clean house, you're never going to get the bros back.

[B]

Jesse, I understand, historically speaking, Dems are in a good place in the midterm elections. Just if you look back for decades, right, and it's such a small majority as it is for the Republicans, even a blue trickle would flip the House. But is Pelosi getting a little out over her skis? I mean, we've put on the screen many times the new Quinnipiac poll that came out fairly recently about just, you know, terrible numbers for the Democrats. Historic lows. I saw just yesterday a brand new YouGov poll that has Democrats at their lowest favorability rating in the history of that poll is There maybe too much premature triumphalism from the former speaker.

[E]

Nancy Pelosi has never gotten a vote wrong.

[A]

Right.

[E]

She's never thought that she had someone that was voting with her or against her and been off base. So I wouldn't bet.

[B]

I guess Hillary Clinton was going to win.

[E]

Not on her own. Not. I'm talking about ruling her own caucus.

[B]

Okay.

[E]

And so did 99%, 99.9% of the world.

[A]

96.

[E]

No, that was the probability. It was just basically everybody, including some of Trump's biggest boosters. But that is good. If elections were decided purely based on favorability, then Kamala Harris would have won in 2024 because she had a higher favorability rating than Donald Trump did. And in terms of young men and the changes that we've seen in them, if you look at the votes in New Jersey and Virginia and the off year elections, Gen Zs swung back to where they were before and Donald Trump's gains would have been erased. 10% unemployment for young Americans. People vote because of the economy. Right. They want good jobs. They haven't been able to get it. The numbers indicate the Democrats should do well. We know that Trump's underwater on all the main categories, immigration, the economy, etc. So I think it'll be pretty good. And I don't think Pelosi gets over her skis, except maybe in 2016 with Hillary Clinton, but we all did that.

[B]

Kellyanne, of course there has been some really good economic news just recently. Gdp, inflation, if these patterns continue, then the conversation around the economy and affordability, the Democrats caterwauling about that, having created the problem that might start to look and play a little bit differently politically. Putting on your pollster hat, what do you think Republicans need to do next year to prove Pelosi wrong?

[D]

They need to finish their sentences, tell us how all of these economic positive signs benefits me personally. Even if you're talking about all this $18 trillion direct foreign investment or trade deals or tariffs or the inflation numbers, the one big beautiful bill allowing for expensing and manufacturing, not just for individuals, but what's happening with our employers. Or their tax rates will be down. They will invest in you, the employee, they'll read, they'll research their innovate, they'll have factories and facilities and they'll do what they did in 2017 when the first tax cut and Jobs act passed. But Republicans need to do what they failed to do in 2022, Guy, which is finish your sentence. Inflation is not a sentence. Afghanistan, Biden, Pelosi, these are not sentences. They're barely words. We are smart enough and young men are smart enough and thirsty enough to get the full problem and solution together. I think the problem for both parties in getting young men in 2026 is that Donald Trump's not on the ballot. And even if he's endorsing you and he's the president and he's there all the time and his policies, his agendas are going great and you feel like they will benefit you, there's something about that's inimitable. It's his connective tissue. He's one of one. And that one on one relationship he created with so many young men and voters of color and small business owners and Catholics and Jewish voters and union households. All numbers went up for him last time. When he's not on the ballot, as he was in last month in these other states, then I think it's difficult to motivate people. But I have this to say. I think that the Republicans, beginning with Trump, did a great job of saying to men, we know you're sick and tired of being on the losing end of the cultural war. And they snap and they voted for him. I think now it's time to make sure they're part of our ownership society. They want to own homes, they want to own investments and portfolios. Many of them want to get married, have a family. They want to be secure and be left alone. So the culture wars are one thing, but now they need to feel like they're a part of the economic prosperity. Many of them are not and should not be shoved into four year colleges either. There needs to be an economy for them. Trump's building that.

[B]

Yeah. Rosanna Pelosi is not running for reelection. So there'll be a lot of tributes and nostalgia from people like Jesse in the year to come. But you are kind of getting the sense that in some ways she's a relic of a party that's not going to exist for much longer.

[C]

I feel like she doesn't have her finger on the pulse. I watched the interview and has she not seen what happened in New York? The Democratic Party is not her party anymore. It's a completely different party. Look, Zoram Mandani went handily in New York City. And who helped him? Two people she respected, but she kept them as outliers. Bernie Sanders and aoc. And these are the people who are now energizing, energizing the party. It's not the Democratic Party that Nancy Pelosi left when she was House Speaker.

[A]

All right.

[B]

Well, coming up, we'll turn to the west coast and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. A new low for her attacking Hispanic Border Patrol agents. That's next.

[E]

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing backlash after she lamented the historic number of Latinos joining the Border Patrol. According to dhs, over half of the agents serving on the southern border are Hispanic.

[C]

I think it's sad. I think that those Border Patrol agents are going to have a difficult time when they're out in the field and they see what actually happens in real life separate from their training. But I do understand that their primary incentive is financial. I think it just speaks to the financial situation that millions of Americans find themselves in. And I definitely am concerned about that report.

[E]

Tyrus, I want to come to you first. I think the financial incentive she's talking about is that there are cash bonuses now to join.

[A]

80 grand a year, it's 60,000 and the incentives are 10,000 and 10,000 if you do some stuff. But she should resign.

[E]

Everyone should resign.

[A]

Yeah, because, well, he's sitting around where everyone robs everybody. Baby mama in Minnesota. And that is one of the most racist things I've ever heard come out of somebody's mouth. That was literally saying like, well, I don't know why black people want to be police officers. Isn't it weird when you're arresting your own people, don't you feel like, who talks like that? Just because you're Latino doesn't mean you don't respect law and order, doesn't mean that you don't want your borders closed. You don't want your school safe. You don't want a million illegal aliens running around in your neighborhood. The fact to say, well, because you're Latino, it must hurt to see your cousins running around. You couldn't possibly train for that. That is the same type of talk that they'd be calling somebody. It'd be a Jim Crow conversation. Or be like Firewatch. How long before she steps down? That is the most incendiary, disgusting, racist thing I have ever heard said to a group of people by someone who's in leadership. And that, what, she gets a cover because she's light skinned like me? The hell with that. Someone should be calling for her job. That is disgusting.

[E]

I think Tyrus just did call for her job. I want to come to you now, Kellyanne. So when you're on the overall point she was making and just as an extra layer of it. So Donald Trump's approval with Latino voters has gone down 35 to 40 points since inauguration. What do you think is going on there?

[D]

That depends on the poll. But I think, look, I think that it should not be denigrated, it should actually be celebrated that so many Hispanics want to grab that badge and serve because they're saying, I live in a country that believes in the rule of law, that believes in law and order, and I want to go be one of the people who protects everyone else. So I don't. I actually think it's a very positive thing. But it does strike me, it reminds me of Zoran Mamdani saying, calling the NYPD racist when I looked it up. And about 63% of all of our police officers are men and women of color. Back to this. I think that President Trump did very well among Hispanics because they had felt abandoned in both the culture wars and the economic upper mobility. They too care very much about ownership, homeownership, they care very much about education. They don't like sort of the anti religious creep that's going on in the Democratic Party where we can't. We could just give you our thoughts, never our prayers. And I think it's both cultural and economic. But again, they will, they're going to benefit from his economy. I'm sure they're locked into that. But I think people should make their own choices in employment and that should be colorblind by the system, but also by the person.

[C]

Rosanna, I was just thinking that many Hispanics who came here legally are offended by what she said. You know, they followed the rules, they waited their turn, they worked hard. Now they're watching chaos rewarded while law enforcement gets criticized for doing their job. Maybe these Latino Border Patrol agents are protecting their community. Maybe they're there for that. But, but where else can you go? Would Mexico, Colombia or any Latino country allow chaos at the border? Millions of people crossing without any kind of legality there.

[E]

Only here guy a little bit different, but related. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic Congresswoman said Trump is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars deporting people. What do you think about that?

[B]

Well, I of course disagree with it. As a matter of fact, I saw a report today in the Washington examiner, new data from ICE. So this is from January 20th, Inauguration Day until December 11th. Of the 595,000 people arrested by ICE during that time period, 416,000 of them, nearly 70% had, quote, criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. That seems like a very good use of government resources.

[E]

Okay, the fastest is coming up next. Can't keep my hands to myself.

[A]

No.

[B]

Matter how hard I'm trying.

[A]

Play the music out for the next minute. Welcome back. LSU football coach Lane Kiffin just signed a 91 million dollar contract. And yet he couldn't stomach a 10 cent shopping bag fee. His own daughter posted the video of Kiffin bringing the groceries home in the store's basket. Check this out.

[B]

Why did you bring that back?

[A]

How to carry it. You have to pay for bags. They said you have to pay for a bag. No self checkout.

[D]

So then I just.

[A]

He should resign. Stealing a cart. He stole that. That's store property. Look, just because you have it don't mean you need to spend it. Right, guy?

[B]

I think that's right. I also heard that he was a big shoprite guy. And then the next day was at Stop and Shop with no warning. Didn't tell the cashiers or anything.

[A]

Walked out on everyone.

[B]

Just switched grocery stores.

[A]

Unbelievable.

[D]

Kellyanne, for a Jersey girl. We hate the plastic, the no plastic bag thing. Because it's just part of mind control. There's plastic and there's plastic everywhere in the grocery store. Everything that you buy is in plastic. But you can't use a plastic bag to carry out the plastic goods to your car. I have found myself in stores like that. So tight. It's got nothing to do with 10 cents or a dollar or $5. It's got to do with the principle of it. I put my groceries on there. A big grocery shop. The only kind of shopping I like, grocery. And then when they're done, I put it back in the basket with no bags. And I bring it into my house that way, just out of principle. So I'm with him.

[A]

Jessica.

[E]

I do that. I put all the groceries in the bottom of the stroller. Like, I love having a huge stroller. I go shopping without children, without the baby. I just fill up the stroller.

[C]

Rosanna, listen. I hate those bags you get at the grocery store. They break in two seconds. But this is why he's rich. Because those bag fees add up like over 100 million years.

[A]

Well, court costs are still in the cart. It's probably gonna hurt them a little bit. One More Thing is up next.

[C]

It's time now for One More Thing. Jessica.

[E]

Okay, we've got firefighters doing what firefighters do best, saving doggies. Thousand Oaks firefighters came to the rescue after a dog was spotted trapped inside a storm drain. They carefully opened the drain and pulled the scared pup to safety. So cute. The dog, who's now called Spanky, was checked by a vet, taken to a local shelter, safe and sound.

[C]

So sweet.

[E]

Well done.

[C]

Cyrus, can you Top that.

[A]

Of course I can. I would have called him depth perception. Coming up, my One More Thing Is Me. Planet Tyrus Comedy Tour. Tickets at Linktree and you can catch me. I'll be in West Palm Beach, Florida. I'll be in Decatur, Illinois. Grassville, California. It's all over the country, so get your tickets while they last.

[C]

Okay? I like that.

[D]

Kelly amp 104 year old World War II veteran Dominic Crotelli performed the national anthem this weekend before the New York Islanders took on the New York Rangers. There he is. Cratelli, a decorated staff sergeant who served in combat during the war, including the Battle of the Boulder and the Normandy landings, took to the ice with his saxophone and delivered a moving rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. The crowd reaction is incredible. The fans in the arena responded with thunderous USA chants and a standing ovation for 104-year-old veteran. God bless him.

[C]

National treasure. Thank you for that guy.

[B]

And I'll just point out that the Rangers got shut out in that game. Okay, so mine is a story out of the Canadian Rockies. A wild encounter here. Look at that. A massive grizzly bear just walking up to tourists almost face to face. And you can see that they seemed a little surprised by that encounter. I would be more than surprised. This is why I avoid the outdoors in general. That is from Banff National Park. And no, thank you. Backing away slowly, or maybe faster than slowly.

[C]

Everybody lives to tell the story, right?

[B]

We think so.

[C]

Okay, that's good. Well, take a look at this crazy car crash. A Corvette was caught on camera speeding through a Florida neighborhood before plowing into a boat parked in a backyard. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and the driver received a ticket for causing the accident. The good news, Santa survived Christmas Eve. The bad news, the landscaping did not. Tyrus. Do you want to see that again?

[A]

No, I want them to resign. He just backed up. He just backed over the fence. Resigned. That man.

[C]

I think you're right about that. Thank you so much for watching. That's it for us. Have a great night.

[B]

Listen to the 5ad free on Amazon.

[A]

Music with your prime membership or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.