Comedy Legend Kathy Griffin on Being Un-canceled.. Plus Frank Figliuzzi on How Trump's FBI Leaves America Vulnerable.

Summary

The Jim Acosta Show – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Comedy Legend Kathy Griffin on Being Un-Canceled... Plus Frank Figliuzzi on How Trump's FBI Leaves America Vulnerable
Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Jim Acosta
Guests: Kathy Griffin (comedian), Frank Figliuzzi (former FBI official)

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Overview

On this episode of The Jim Acosta Show, Jim sits down with comedy icon Kathy Griffin to discuss her turbulent “cancellation,” her journey back to the spotlight, and the current state of comedy and political discourse. Later, Jim is joined by former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi, who provides expert insight into the state of the FBI under Trump, recent high-profile prosecutions seen as acts of political vengeance, and the serious security vulnerabilities facing the U.S. today. The episode is marked by biting humor, candid personal stories, and pointed criticism of political decay in America.

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Kathy Griffin: On Being Un-Canceled, Trump, and Comedy’s Future

Segment: [00:00–28:30]

Reintroducing Kathy Griffin ([00:00–01:33])

• Jim Acosta welcomes Kathy, celebrating her “take-no-prisoners” style and her return to the stage with a new YouTube special, My Life on the PTSD List.
• Kathy recalls her infamous New Year’s Eve stint at CNN and laments the decline in follow-up journalism and the vanishing of local press.
  • “If there's not even a press corps allowed in the Pentagon anymore, what am I watching [CNN] for?” (Kathy Griffin, [00:32])

The Decline of Local Media ([02:40–04:37])

• Kathy recounts growing up in a politically divided family and how accessible, healthy local press shaped her understanding of the world.
  • “As somebody who’s 64, I really miss it. I counted on local press.” ([03:40])
• Both express sadness at the shrinking of local news and the impact on civil discourse and touring artists.

Taking on Elon Musk and Online Culture ([04:37–06:12])

• Discussion of Kathy’s Twitter antics, including impersonating Elon Musk and being banned:
  • “He said he took my account away because I was impersonating a comedian. That was his big joke. But he stole that joke from…I had seen that tweet a thousand times.” ([05:45])
• Hits out at Musk and his online fanbase as “fash[ion]” worshippers.

Decades-Long Connections with Trump ([06:16–08:34])

• Kathy describes her odd, decades-spanning relationship with Donald Trump, including a roast at Bedminster and sitting next to him at a Larry King roast.
  • “He's so stupid. He's like aggressively stupid. He's not just uninformed or distracted by other world matters.” ([07:58])
• Reminisces about mutual connections through Joan Rivers and the insular New York/LA scene.

The Fallout and Aftermath of “The Photo” ([08:49–13:29])

• Goes in depth about government investigation and public backlash following her infamous Trump-head photo:
  • “They were really trying to charge me with the felony of conspiracy to assassinate the President of the United States.” ([09:08])
• Describes interrogation by the DOJ, placement on multiple terror watchlists, and the impact on her life and career.
• Despite having top lawyers, she endured airport detentions and lost her right to travel freely.
  • “I was on the no Fly list and the Interpol list…on the five Eyes list.” ([09:24])
• Notes the double standard, speculating Trump would not have been “canceled” over a similar image.

Surviving and Surmounting Cancellation ([13:29–16:12])

• Recalls total industry isolation, with both the political right and left turning against her:
  • “Everyone turned on me left, right, and center. And then Jeff Zucker, that piece of shit…put it on the CNN ticker.” ([13:37])
• Shares her resolve to fight back as a model for younger comics and upholds the primacy of humor and adaptability in comedy.
• Celebrates a spirit of inclusiveness and learning from “woke” culture:
  • “I don't have a problem with the woke mind virus...I think it’s good when younger people educate me.” ([14:21])

Changing Language, Comedy, and Resistance ([16:12–21:06])

• Discusses right-wing attempts to police thought and cancel comics (Jimmy Kimmel as example), and how grassroots economic resistance worked.
  • “Something just wasn’t right about the president deciding who does late night jokes.” ([16:45])
• Asserts comedy’s role is "punching up," and that mockery of the powerful is essential.
• Kathy affirms her enduring commitment to the LGBTQ community (“queen of the gays” [19:30]):
  • “What’s better than a gay audience? You can’t shock a gay audience.” ([19:37])
  • Brags about surviving “18 gay cruises” as a badge of honor ([20:05]).

Life, Love, and Perseverance ([21:16–23:15])

• Jokes about her financial independence, new dating adventures, and colorful app experiences.
• Maintains that hope and resilience are vital, even when the country seems on the brink:
  • "We lazy Americans have to understand that we have to be like other countries that have been on the brink of fascism." ([23:15])

On Activism, American Decay, and Gray Areas ([23:15–28:30])

• Advocates for bolder public protest (“be in the streets every day”).
• Critiques gerrymandering, the Electoral College, and expresses skepticism about the fairness of Trump’s electoral victories:
  • “I…do not think that Donald won in a free and fair election…I just can't be convinced he won. I know that sounds crazy.” ([25:23])
• Emphasizes the need for hope, pointing to her own comeback as proof:
  • "If I can go back, anybody can come back." ([27:53])
• Wraps segment by plugging her new tour: “Every ticket you purchase is a middle finger to censorship." ([28:16])

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Frank Figliuzzi: The State of the FBI and Trump-Era Retaliation

Segment: [29:24–46:49]

The John Bolton Case and Trump’s DOJ ([30:09–35:03])

• Frank Figliuzzi details the indictment of John Bolton for classified info mishandling:
  • “This is, you know, people have to understand something. 18 counts...He clearly intended to write a book, literally from day one.” ([32:03])
• Frank stresses the prosecution is strong but acknowledges the taint of possible political motivation:
  • “Two things can be true at once. Strong case...And then, comma, let’s, let’s be real. The timing of this is horrible.” ([33:34])

Selective and Vindictive Prosecution ([35:03–38:04])

• Discussion shifts to the prosecution of James Comey, which Frank describes as “transparently vengeful” and “an embarrassment for this country.”
  • “As my mother used to say frequently, this is why we can't have nice things.” ([36:21])
• Notes the unusual use of external prosecutors and investigators, further suggesting questionable motives.

National Security Failures and SignalGate ([38:04–39:47])

• Compares the vigor of the Bolton/Comey prosecutions with the lack of action on SignalGate, emphasizing lost priorities under Trump’s FBI.
• Expresses dismay that the alleged hacking of cabinet members is ignored:
  • “Who do you think is hacking and monitoring the phones of all of these cabinet level people on that signal chat? Everyone and their brother.” ([39:35])

Merrick Garland, Mueller, and Prosecutorial Timidity ([39:47–42:46])

• Criticizes Merrick Garland (and by extension Bob Mueller) for moving too slowly and eschewing bold action, especially in the January 6 probe.
  • “Trump was, was, you know, an MMA fighter and they were boxing…there was a genteel rule following thing going on there that did not sense the gravity of the situation.” ([40:49])
• Faults DOJ for waiting on Congress before acting against Trump and his enablers.

The Hollowing Out of the FBI ([42:46–46:24])

• Frank warns of dire vulnerabilities due to staff cuts, re-prioritization, and draining of expertise:
  • “I am convinced...we are as vulnerable as we've been perhaps since 9/11.” ([43:32])
  • “They’re coming off the JTTFs, the Joint Terrorism Task Forces…even crimes against children, agents...they’re being pulled off of that.” ([43:47])
• Notes mass retirements and lowered recruitment standards for new agents:
  • “No college degree...eight weeks of training...how are those people going to work complex international transnational crimes?” ([45:19])

Conclusion of Figliuzzi Segment ([46:44–46:49])

• Jim thanks Frank and notes the chilling warnings, especially regarding U.S. national security under Trump-era and post-Trump leadership.

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Final Thoughts & Noteworthy Quotes

Segment: [46:49–57:56]

Host Analysis and Critique ([46:49–49:25])

• Jim rails against the current White House press secretary Caroline Levitt for inflammatory, McCarthyite rhetoric.
  • “She has so cheapened that position that it doesn't have the stature that it once had because she holds that job.” ([49:25])

Redemption and Hope ([49:46–57:56])

• Jim circles back to the “comeback” theme, celebrating Kathy Griffin’s resilience as an example for the country:
  • “You can be down for the count and you can still get back up and start swinging again. And that's what Kathy's doing.” ([49:46])
• Closes with a story about Kathy’s meeting with Kamala Harris, encapsulating the episode’s message of speaking truth to power:
  • “She turned to me and she goes, ‘Take no shit.’ So that's...the edict she has given to me. So I'm taking no shit this week.” (Kathy Griffin, [57:19])
• Jim thanks his listeners for supporting independent journalism and promises continued, unfiltered coverage.

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Notable Moments and Quotes

• “He's so stupid. He's like aggressively stupid.” — Kathy Griffin on Donald Trump ([07:58])
• “If the roles had been reversed and he had held your head up in a picture…he still would have been elected president twice.” — Jim Acosta ([10:49])
• “They were really trying to charge me with the felony of conspiracy to assassinate the President of the United States.” — Kathy Griffin ([09:08])
• “I am convinced...we are as vulnerable as we've been perhaps since 9/11.” — Frank Figliuzzi ([43:32])
• “Every ticket you purchase is a middle finger to censorship.” — Kathy Griffin ([28:16])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Kathy Griffin on censorship and media: [00:00–04:37]
• Trump stories & cancel culture: [06:16–13:29]
• LGBTQ community/Comedy post-cancellation: [19:23–21:16]
• Political hope & activism: [23:15–28:30]
• John Bolton prosecution & FBI insight: [29:24–35:03]
• DOJ, selective prosecution, and FBI decline: [35:03–46:24]
• Kathy Griffin’s mandate from Kamala Harris: [57:01–57:56]

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Tone and Atmosphere

• Candid, irreverent, and raw: Both Acosta and Griffin are unfiltered, blending sharp humor with frank criticism.
• Concerned and urgent: Figliuzzi’s warnings about national security underscore the seriousness of the moment.
• Hopeful yet vigilant: Despite dark warnings, both guests and host advocate persistence, hope, and speaking out.

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This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in the intersection of politics, media, comedy, and the struggle to maintain truth and democracy amid polarization and institutional decay.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. This is the Jim Acosta show and we have a special treat on this Friday. The great Kathy Griffin is joining us to talk about her remarkable comeback. She has a new YouTube special called My Life on the PTSD list. I love Kathy's Take no Prisoner style. This is something, you know, that everybody loves about Kathy Griffin and, and honestly, Kathy, this is something you and I should have done a long time ago. It is great to see you.

[B]

It's, it's, this has been a long time coming and you know, I, we, we can get into the CNN of it, but I only worked there one night a year. I just want to be clear, when I got scanned, I was only a one night a year contractor. You were one of the faces of cnn and I miss you. And I, I miss you. I don't mean to sound like a trumper, but I actually don't watch CNN anymore. Well, I find it too frustrating because I feel like they don't do follow ups and if there's not even a press corps allowed in the Pentagon anymore, then what am I watching it for?

[A]

Right?

[B]

So you know, I'm coming online more like so many of us are.

[A]

Well, I mean, I think that's what a lot of people think about corporate media these days. They've just kind of had it and they think that they're missing the moment. And you're absolutely right about this Pentagon press corps thing. Although I do have to say I take my hat off to those Pentagon reporters who said we're not going to put up with that bullshit and we're going to walk right out. So good for them. I think there are still some folks here in D.C. who are trying to do the job. Yeah, that's key.

[B]

You know, for a civilian like myself, I'm a comedian by trade. I have to pay attention to politics because I like my shows to be a little bit different. Every night I'm about to go on tour again and it's called I love it. New tour.

[C]

Get it.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Work done, Jim. I'm not gonna lie.

[A]

I need a little work. So hey, you know, ticket you purchase.

[B]

Is a middle finger to censorship.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And so I'm going to the real America, Jim. I mean I'm going to Richmond, I'm going Jacksonville, which is basically Kentucky. And I'm going to try to be finding those little blue dots in a sea of red.

[A]

I love it. I mean, honestly. But that's what we need to do right now and we need to talk to one another and I tell people all the time, I went I've been to a million Trump rallies over the years, and you will run into some real salt of the earth, very nice people who just. I don't know why they support him. It's. They, they're certainly supporting him against their own best interest. No question about it. It's a cultural thing, but in many cases, a lot of them are just super nice. I know people might say, what are you talking about, Jim? But it's true, and I'm sure you encounter that as well.

[B]

Oh, I have Trumper friends. I just saw one of my best friends and she said to me, don't be mad. I hope you don't think I'm like, this crazy Trumper. I hate what he did to you. And I always go, no, no. I grew up with Republican mom, Democrat dad, and the dinner table was always debate time. And I'm from Chicago. So if you remember, the Chicago politics of my generation were not so clean. You had someone named Mayor Richard Daley, the father, and he had something called the Chicago Machine. And so there was always an alderman on the take. And you just kind of were expected to know that stuff at the dinner table. And because we had competing newspapers, and now newspapers are vanishing, we had the Trib in the Times, and now, you know, as I do my tour, it's actually more and more difficult to find media outlets to do interviews with, because these local papers, which really sell tickets when you're a touring artist, yes, you can do national press, and that's great. But right now, we could be watched by somebody in Indonesia, where I'm not playing this time. And yet the local press is just vanishing. And I, as somebody who's 64, I really miss it. I counted on local press.

[A]

You're absolutely right. And I can tell you, I mean, I've been. I've been to all 50 states, and you pick up the local newspaper in this town or that town because you're there for a campaign event. And every four years, I could. I could see the. The disintegration of local news. The newspapers would get smaller and smaller. They get thinner and thinner. More car dealership ads, less content, news content. And it's just, It's a sad thing.

[B]

And I live in Los Angeles, actually, I live in Malibu, which is like the moon if you're in Los Angeles, but I love it here. And our beloved Los Angeles Times is now with not one of the great billionaires, which I don't know if there are any, except mackenzie Scott, but that's true. I'm really looking for the good billionaires, and they're not out there. Oh, I am going to be kind of sucking on, though, Jim, you should know that.

[A]

What's happening with Elon?

[B]

Well, he's a Nazi, and I'm just gonna stand by that because he gave the Hitler salute twice at an inauguration event.

[A]

Oh, he says it wasn't that. He was. He says it was hailing a cab or something like that.

[B]

Sure, sure. He was getting his Uber. And I. One night at, like, 2 in the morning. Because here's my problem, Jim. I keep doing stuff if only, like, three of my friends think it's funny, and then it turns into something global. But I changed my username on Twitter before it was X, and I refused to call it X. I just call it Shitter. And I changed my username from Kathy Griffin to Elon Musk and just started tweeting pro choice. I love it, saying, I couldn't wait for President Kamala Harris. And because we live in a world with media organizations that can't afford to have journalists that use, you know, secondaries and tertiaries, it actually got picked up as a real story. So he was furious. So the Elon fanboys came at me and, oh, my God, they're out to kill. They worship him.

[A]

It's so weird.

[B]

Like fashion. And then he took my account away. And then he said he took my account away because I was impersonating a comedian. That was his big joke. But he stole that joke from, like, I had seen that tweet, like, a thousand times. So then I wrote him back, you fucking hack. You can't even come up with your own insult toward me. And I said, you're a Nazi. Work harder on your material. And so he's not pleased with me.

[A]

No, I can imagine not. And somebody else who's not pleased with you, I'm sure, is Donald Trump.

[B]

Oh, the Donald. Oh, the Donald. Now, Jim, here's. Here's what I want to tell you that most of your viewers probably don't know. Yeah, I have known the Domino for decades. He actually hired me one time to roast him at Bedminster, where he buried the first. The second wife.

[A]

Or it's hard to keep track.

[B]

Yeah, some kind of a shady plaque situation. I mean, I've got a shovel in my garage. I'll go there with you today and just dig up that grave if you need. If you want to do any upper body work, I'll do it myself. But anyway, the last time I saw Donald, he. Of course, he's a pussy. So I'm Walking toward him at Bedminster, his own turf. And he's going, oh, here she comes out, everybody. She's tough. She's tough. Don't be too tough on the hair. And I said, well, let me feel it. So I felt the bird's nest, and it feels like a very shellacked bird's nest.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And you know, I did it because it was. Gosh. Was it the late night? I've known him since the late 90s when he was a guest star on a sitcom I was on called Suddenly Susan with Brooke Shields.

[A]

I remember that show.

[B]

Marla.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

That's how long I've known him.

[A]

Marla.

[B]

Marla. Oh, my God. I was good friends with the late, great Joan Rivers, my mentor and idol.

[A]

She was amazing.

[B]

And she was friends with Donald's sister in law, Blaine. And so I would hear about Donald via Joan, and Joan and I would run into Donald, and one times I. One time I sat next to him at a roast for the late Larry King, and Donald was next to me for four hours. Jim. Yeah, it was a nightmare.

[A]

I was gonna say, wow, blah, blah.

[B]

I mean, the stuff that comes out of his mouth sometimes. I think he's kidding. He's so stupid. He's like aggressively stupid. He's not just uninformed or distracted by other world matters.

[A]

A very stable genius. Yeah.

[B]

No, he's not a mental giant. And Gilbert Gottfried, may he rest in peace, was to my right. And I kept turning to Gilbert and going, gilbert, you have to talk to me. The Donald will not shut up. And he wants to be called the Donald, which is.

[A]

That was the thing. I remember that.

[B]

And Gilbert saved me. No, I don't know what the Donald is about. He thinks it's a title.

[A]

He does. He thinks he's a king. And speaking of that, we're having the no kings protests around the country. I'm sure you're excited about that. Of course. And I guess, I mean, since we're talking about him, let's talk. Let's talk about your comeback. And you're on tour.

[B]

You've got the photo. I mean, let's. Let's not act like that photo I took of his decapitated head was not. Was not reacted to in a seismic way. I mean, it was in history to be investigated by the Department of Justice, two agencies, the U.S. attorney's office, the Secret Service. They came after, interrogated under oath, really cost me a fortune of legal fees, and they were really trying to charge me with the felony of conspiracy to assassinate the President of the United States.

[A]

Jesus. But here. Okay, I got a couple of questions.

[B]

And I was on the no Fly list and the Interpol list. And here's a question for you, Jim Acosta.

[C]

Yeah, please.

[B]

You know what this is? I was on the five Eyes list.

[A]

Is that where, like, they give you the full body cavity search every time.

[B]

You go to the airport? ISIS terror watch list we share.

[A]

I got four countries. Yeah, yeah, that. That is not pleasant. I got on that briefly because of. I was on presidential trips and I dropped off in this country over here and picked up in this country over there. For whatever reason, I got put on the, the 4s list that got up on my boarding passes, everything. Every time I went to the airport, it was. It was horrible every time. And, and so. Okay, so I, I feel for you on that one.

[B]

And they took my phone and my passport, so even though I have an amazing team of lawyers.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I wasn't able to call any of them.

[A]

And.

[B]

And you're really under their own jurisdiction, airport by airport. So you just sit in the detention room. And sometimes it would be 20 minutes. And sometimes, like, I had a show in Singapore, it was five hours. And I'm trying to say to them, I have women and gay men that are waiting for me. Let me go do my show. I promise I'm not in isis.

[A]

That's right. No, that's true. But here's the question that I have, and that is, are you shocked as to how canceled you got? Because to me, Donald Trump is somebody.

[B]

He canceled the most.

[A]

Canceled. And he's, He's, He's.

[B]

Talk about being canceled. I like. Ha, ha ha. I laugh at you, but let's.

[A]

I'm just gonna say, and I'm not saying this to puff you up, but if the roles had been reversed and he had held your head up in a picture, he would not have been canceled, and he still would have been elected president twice.

[B]

I'm just gonna say groundswell of support. I mean, and also, remember I was holding up a Halloween mask with ketchup on it.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And it was. I actually put it on a wig head because it kept folding. Not unlike Donald Trump himself. It kept folding. And then they, of course, airbrushed out the bottom of the wig head. But, you know, I thought the picture was so over the top. It was a spoof of Medusa and Perseus. And I thought, people are going to put this together in two seconds. And I was wrong. The cheese stood alone.

[A]

Yeah, but I mean, he's. He says, I can He. I can shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and get away with it.

[B]

He says he's going to. I put nothing past him, and neither should you.

[A]

Yeah, well.

[B]

And so my question for you, Jimmy, please. When I go to the Note Kings March, do I or do I not carry a sign that says, don't make me get the head out again?

[A]

My. My personal plea to you is maybe that joke we don't do anymore. That would.

[C]

Jim.

[B]

First Amendment, Jim.

[A]

First Amendment. You're right. That's right.

[B]

Sister is clapping off camera. My assistant is like, thank God for Jim Acosta.

[A]

Whatever I can do to help. I just want you to be able to travel freely around the world.

[C]

Is that.

[A]

That's my. That's my point here. I guess that that might be it. And there it is. Bring a giant middle finger and carry that around. Nobody would care about that.

[B]

I can do that.

[A]

But, you know, I. So what was it like for that period of time? What was it years after this took place?

[B]

Like, seven years. I did work, Jim.

[A]

Seven years.

[B]

And, I mean, I've been a happy workaholic my whole career. Whether it was my show, my life on the D list, or Suddenly Susan or extremely hard show touring. I've done more standup specials than any comedian, male or female, living or dead. I love doing standup. It's my favorite. And then for the phone to just stop ringing, and, I mean, everyone turned on me left, right, and center. And then Jeff Zucker, that piece of shit about me, puts it on the freaking CNN ticker. So then I hear that I'm fired on the ticker in my PJs, crying. And then I get a call from Al Franken. I was going to do a book event. Yeah, two book events. And he's like, what were you thinking? And I'm like, what, you too? So, I mean, I just want to be clear. It wasn't just the right. It was everybody.

[A]

It was everybody.

[B]

I was out there alone, definitely.

[A]

And so. But now you've made this comeback. I mean, you're on People magazine. You're. You're doing this big comedy special article.

[B]

Is Risen from the Ashes.

[A]

I love that. I love that. And so what is that like to be uncanceled? Because I think everybody's, like, enough with punishing Kathy Griffin. Give me a break, God damn it. Donald Trump does 10 times worse every day. That's right.

[B]

You know what? I felt compelled from the minute it happened to not let it take me down for the younger women and people in comedy that are coming up, because I was raised on the greats Rickles and Joan Rivers and George Carlin and Richard Pryor and Phyllis Diller. And these are people that got political when it was appropriate, said whatever they thought was funny. The number one thing in comedy should be if it's funny and people are laughing, it's funny. Fair game.

[C]

Right.

[B]

By the way, I want to be clear. I don't have a problem with the woke mind virus. A lot of people think since I got canceled that now I'm one of those comics that like wants to continue to say bad, like really bad words. And I just want to be clear. No, I, I actually think it's good when younger people educate me. Like we don't talk about that topic this way anymore.

[A]

Yeah, we don't use this.

[B]

I like that. I want to know. I don't want anybody leaving in te Right.

[A]

I'm of the mindset, like people who trash wokeism and you're trashing being tolerant. I mean one of the things that.

[B]

You'Re known for, Kathy is into in learning about.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

Changing times. You know, I'm going to be 65 in two weeks, by the way. I can't wait for the discount. I can't wait. And I'm gonna work it.

[A]

You have Medicare, who we come?

[B]

I want movies that have price. I want any discount I can get. I'm going to go to dinner at 4:30. I'm wild. But I already do that. Anyway, I want to know. Woke is an expression that white people kind of co opted from the African American community anyway. And so I want to first know that be clear about that. I didn't know white person invented that word. But I think once again the right has taken that term, co opted it from the co opters and made it this negative thing. And what's wrong with being awake? I mean I think being woke itself on Facebook, face value is only a positive thing. We have to change with the times and learn from our mistakes and learn to learn to see what young people are thinking because they are our only hope.

[A]

That's right. And Kathy, the conservatives, the MAGA people are now the thought police. Like for example, they went after Jimmy Kimmel. They tried to run Jimmy Kimmel out of town. Thank God everybody rose up.

[B]

Jimmy Kimmel was the only one who didn't cancel me all those years. He would still book me. I've known him since he was the sports guy at krock, the local radio station in Los Angeles.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And you know, I, I put something on threads or blue sky or One of them. And I said, correct me, you know, if I'm wrong, but I don't see anything else that worked in the form of resistance except when everyday people canceled their Disney, Hulu and espn.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Because they just left or right. Something just wasn't right about the president deciding who does late night jokes. If that isn't punching up, you know, in comedy there's punching up. So if I make fun of Taylor Swift, that's punching up. Because she's. I'm on the dealer. She's Taylor Swift, the most famous woman in the world. Talented, beautiful, winning in life. I'm still trying to get people to come see me in Jacksonville. And so, you know, that's punching up. Making fun of the president. It's my job as a comic to.

[A]

Make fun of that.

[B]

That's what we're supposed to job as a journalist, to call him out. Right time when people aren't doing it. So I think it's more essential than ever. Since you had this administration actively, and I lived it actively, they really were able to silence me. And I would not wish that on my worst enemy.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

I hope more comedians will be more bold about making fun of Trump and Trumpers. I do believe it's a cult. I do believe humor can be healing. And I believe there are ways you can point things out to people on both sides of the aisle, like you said, that are voting against their own best interests.

[A]

Against their own interests. No question about it. This whole government shutdown is over.

[B]

Obamacare, not a Democratic shutdown.

[A]

Exactly. I know.

[C]

I.

[A]

When I hear people in the media say that, and now I'm the one complaining about the media. I hear them say, I'm like, are you fucking kidding me? The Republicans are in charge. How is it that it's the Democrats fault?

[B]

So are you telling me that our members of the military didn't get their check on the 15th?

[A]

I think there, I think they got enough funding through to take care of that paycheck. It's the one at the end of the month where they may be completely hosed if this thing isn't taken care of. So. But they're still lining up in lines and stuff? Absolutely.

[B]

No. I performed in Iraq and Afghanistan and Kuwait and Uzbekistan in war zones. And what I really. What touched me the most? Well, first of all, what impressed me the most was I. We forget how young the members of our military are when I'm out in the audience. They're kids, they're babies, they're 19.

[A]

It's wild.

[B]

Many of them have children themselves. By the time they're, you know, 19.

[A]

Or they're living paycheck to paycheck, they're not making a lot of money.

[B]

We do not treat our military members well. Or veterans.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

That drives me crazy how the Republicans act like. Like they're the party for the military. No, I went there. Take it from me, I went to Walter Reed and did a show. They are struggling. They need those government funds.

[A]

And, Kathy, I gotta ask you, the LGBTQ community, how is it that you're, like, this icon for them?

[B]

Queen of the gays.

[A]

The queen of the gays. I think it's. I think it's the coolest thing. I think it's one of the coolest things about you.

[B]

I've talked to Cherry and Bet and the rest of the council members, and, you know, I. I remember asking Joan Rivers this question, and her answer was, oh, And I know what that means. It's like, well, of course. What's better than a gay audience? You can't shock a gay audience.

[C]

True.

[B]

Here's where I'm going to put you. In your place, you are looking at the veteran of someone who has performed on, wait for it. 18 gay cruises.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah. So, Jim, you might think you've partied in your life. I've partied drunk. I stayed out all night. No, honey. No, honey, you have. You couldn't even come close.

[A]

I mean, I would not survive one cruise. I wouldn't survive.

[B]

They'd eat you for lunch. Honey, are you kidding? And I would be there to make jokes. I throw you under the bus so fast, you have no idea. Now, you would be what's called a daddy or a zaddy, which is a very good category to be in.

[A]

I was going to say, don't put.

[B]

People in a box anymore, but every so often, I'll make an exception for the LGBT community because I don't mind being objectified.

[A]

It's fine. It's okay.

[B]

No, no. And now Trump is trying to bring back conversion cams. Are you kidding me? That's like, just Grinder on steroids. So bring it on.

[A]

I know it's true. Something tells me that those conversion camps, that's where the Grindr app, like, blows up in their hands or whatever. Yeah, it's like the server crash. It.

[B]

It's like a mixer.

[A]

And so, I mean, what's it like now? I mean, you just miss. It must be so liberating, so freeing. You must feel so good. I mean, I love this about you.

[B]

I am just so lucky to be working, Jim, because like I said, I'm from World War II. Parents, depression. Parents. Use it up, wear it out, make it do. That was their expression.

[A]

Right?

[B]

And I just was raised to take every job and say yes to everything. And that's what I have done my whole career. I have no debt. I own my house outright. And thank God.

[A]

And you're back on the dating scene, I understand.

[B]

I. I'm on the apps, Jim. I'm on the apps like. Like that whore John Mayer. John Mayer and I are destined to have one lost night in hell together. I texted him once and I said, eventually, it's just gonna happen. Because it's a numbers game, John, and you're.

[A]

He should let it happen.

[B]

He should just. Don't fight it.

[A]

Don't fight it.

[B]

It's a hot redhead.

[A]

Come on.

[B]

And so.

[A]

And you said something to People magazine about this. You said that you went on a date with a guy who said he could kill you with his thumb in under two seconds or something like that. What. What is happening?

[B]

Why is it that.

[A]

That sounds super creepy. Yeah.

[B]

Is it the male loneliness epidemic? Is that what it is? Because I don't remember that from my old dating days, but he did feel compelled to tell me. And I don't know if he took a gov McGraw class or what, but he could kill me with his thumb in my Adam's apple in under two seconds, was how he described it.

[A]

Did he have a red hat on with some white letters on it or.

[B]

I think it was a metaphorical red hat. But let me tell you something. When that check came, I just stared at it. Just stared. I thought, I will wait him out. I'll sit here for five hours. I'm not picking up that tap.

[A]

And so let me ask you this, because. Not to get political again, but what do you say to folks who are. Because I run into this now where people are so depressed and we've got no King's Day coming tomorrow. They're so depressed, they think, that's it. We're. It's over. We're all going down the tubes. Do you agree with that? Do you think. No, there should be hope. Like you. You came back. You've risen from the ashes.

[B]

I think what we have to understand is we lazy Americans have to understand that we have to be like other countries that have been on the brink of fascism. Although I think we're already there. And they are in the streets every day. So I know we all have Pilates class. And, you know, we have things to do. And we have mouths to feed and kids to take care of. I understand. But I think the time may come when we have to be in the streets every day. And I think being Trump, knowing the Donald, that will drive him insane, because, as you know, he's all ego and he wants to be popular so much.

[C]

Right.

[B]

He wants to win an Emmy, probably more than the Nobel Peace Prize.

[C]

That's true.

[B]

And his obsession with that is. Is comedy gold for me because of.

[A]

All, I love it.

[B]

And so I think if we can get used to the idea that, like the no Kings Day march, we have to be louder, more present here in California, we have something called Prop 50 that I hope passes, which is our very brave governor, Gavin Newsom. Whether you like him or not, he is the best troll to the Donald.

[A]

He has been good.

[B]

And that means that if Texas is allowed to gerrymander the way they do, then California would be allowed. Because I don't know if you've experienced this, but when I go overseas, the minute they hear my American accent, whether they recognize me or not, everywhere I go, people stop what they're doing and they go, what the are you guys doing over there? How did you elect him again?

[A]

That's what I hear, too.

[B]

Ice cream shop in Copenhagen. And they'll just stop what they're doing and go explain. And then you have to get into gerrymandering, which is something federalist society and all that.

[A]

People around the world do not understand our up political system here with gerrymandering.

[B]

Electoral college, you can't undo a problem for years. In England, they get a new. A new PM in eight days.

[A]

It's like a head of lettuce. You throw it out. When it's bad, you throw it out.

[B]

Okay, one more thing just to mini. Canceled. I'm just gonna say this, and you can put my tinfoil hat on. You ready?

[A]

I love it.

[B]

Please, I, Kathy Griffin, do not think that Donald won in a free and fair election.

[A]

Ooh, it's a hot take. I've seen that hot take.

[B]

You don't have to agree. You don't have to agree, but something. And now I sound like a Trumper, but something with Elon giving a million dollars a vote and then him winning all seven swing states for the first time in history. But the Democrats won the down ballot and the disastrous first term. Something about it doesn't smell right. So I hope in my lifetime to see history reflect some kind of Watergate revelatory Alex Butterfield moment where somebody comes clean about the election, because I Just I can't be convinced he won. I know that. I know sound crazy.

[A]

Well. And I think it's because people are of the mindset, like how. And it's sort of like what we hear from people around the world. How in the world could he get back in there after everything that he did? I totally understand that. I'll do you one better. I'd like to see him beaten fair and square. Yeah. In this upcoming midterm cycle and in 2028. Just try it, buddy. Try a third term. He's going to get destroyed. There's just no way.

[B]

Do you think we're going to have midterms?

[A]

Yes, I think we'll have midterms and I think it's going to be fair. I think they'll be free and fair. I think so. I think the clock is ticking. I think they will run out of time. I do not think they will. They will have the time to pull this off, what they're trying to do.

[B]

That's your optimism. I'm so afraid we're not going to have midterms or they're going to be somehow manipulated. I'm so afraid because when they accused poor Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss of doing what they did and they made that tape on a loop on Fox and those two women had their lives decimated. I mean, they won in a court of law and that's great. But when I heard their testimony in front of the J6 hearings, which I had screening parties for in my screening room.

[A]

I hear you right? No.

[B]

And I think that what they accuse us of doing, they invariably are revealed to have done themselves. I agree that they have a crooked version of poll folks that just might be somewhere in probably one of the markets I'm going to go to on my tour. But I fear the little guy as much as I fear the Elon's.

[A]

Yeah. But I think you have to have hope. And I think one of the reasons why you have to have hope, Kathy, is your story. You have. You have as. As people.

[B]

If I can go back, anybody can come back.

[A]

That's it. So maybe American have a comeback too, you know, I mean, that's. We'll just have to think about it that way. But. Yeah. Kathy, great to see you. And if I'm wrong about all this, we'll reconvene and you can just say, I told you so. Acosta. So happy for you. So please, and best of luck on the tour.

[C]

Hold up.

[A]

What? Can we hold up the flyer one more time?

[B]

Of course I can.

[A]

There it is right there. New face, new tour. Every ticket you purchase is a middle finger to censorship. That is the message of this moment. Kathy Griffin, I'm so glad you're back. I'm so, I'm so grateful that you came on.

[B]

Thank you, thank you for having me. It means a lot.

[A]

All right, take care of those doggies. Bye. Bye. The great Kathy Griffin and I love to see a story of redemption. I love to see a story of comeback. I loved. It's just great. And, and she's the epitome of that. And I just, you know, I go back to the point I made earlier. I mean, Donald Trump has done way worse shit over and over and over again. So if he can be elected and put back in the White House, Kathy Griffin should be able to go back on tour and have all the comedy specials and late night appearances that she wants. Let's switch gears. And I want to bring in Frank Figluzzi, former top FBI official Frank Figloozzi, also legal commentator on msnbc. And, and Frank, you and I have never done this before, although I feel like this is a long time coming. Great to see you. And, and just, I'm, I'm really pleased that I get to tap into your expertise. So thanks for coming on.

[C]

Thanks. Jim. A couple of thoughts already. This is a tough act to follow. I've had some tough acts to follow, but, you know, this one, I told my wife, I said, you know who's going to precede me with Jim Acosta? Kathy Griffin. And she says, you mean from Regis and Kathy Lee? And I go, no, no, no, no. The redhead comedian. Oh, thank God. She said, but, you know, you know, we've been following each other throughout my FBI career. You've, it seems like you and I have been at the same major stories, you know, whether it was Miami or Cleveland, Ohio, you know, I've been assigned where major things had happened. And here you are in the press coverage, and now here we are on substack.

[A]

I know. And I mean, there's some big stuff happening. And I, I mean, Frank, one of the reasons why I wanted to talk to you today, and it just was great timing because we booked you days ago and then the Bolton thing came down yesterday where he was indicted. And I'm just curious what your thoughts are on that case, because the media narrative is, well, this is a different case than the Comey case and Letitia James case. It's not clear cut political retaliation and so on. But there's a part of me that says, now wait a minute, he's one of Donald Trump's enemies, perceived political enemies. And so the timing is suspicious as hell. So, I mean, could it be two things at once? Two things can be true at the same time. What do you think?

[C]

Yeah, you read my mind. That's. That's the phrase I was going to use. We have to be able to think in a couple different planes here. And, you know, I was the head of counterintelligence in the FBI, and that's. That's the position I retired from. And I would. This would have been my team. If I were in place today, God help me, I would have, you know, had this case under me. And here's the deal. I've read it. I've read the indictment twice, and it's quite serious. This is, you know, people have to understand something. 18 counts. There's both possession of NDI, classified, and transmission transmitted to his wife and daughter, but not just in a short burst of, hey, I think I should write a book. What do you think? No, this was a rhythm that he had established as National Security Advisor to send his notes that he had taken in very sensitive meetings. When I say very sensitive, Jim, we're talking top secret sci. Sensitive compartmented information that only handfuls of people sometimes are read into. He clearly my take on this. He clearly intended to write a book, literally from day one.

[A]

That's what I think, too. Yeah. Yeah, right.

[C]

That's a problem.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And then we've got.

[A]

Everybody writes a book in D.C. i mean, it is kind of like a tale as old as time. I mean, I will say I didn't start and the access in order to write the book, but anyway.

[C]

Yeah, well, he might have also been trying to protect his rear end at the time.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, he knows better than this. And that's. That's embedded in the indictment that literally he's been briefed. He knows he can't do this. He had a skiff in his house. Some new things have come out. Had a skiff in his house. Again, secure Compartmented Information Facility. But that was clear. According to the allegations in the indictment, that was clearly dismantled, disapproved, no longer good. He was told that you can't do this anymore. And clearly, skiff or not, you can't keep a classified journal in your AOL account and email your wife and daughter via aol. All right, so we've got that. We've also got an element of kind of deceit, if I can use that word, in the indictment. What is that? He's hacked by what appears to be an Iranian government actor. Someone from Iran is hacking him. That's in the indictment. But what does he do about it? This is Post leaving the White House. His staffer contacts the FBI.

[A]

Good.

[C]

Says Ambassador Bolton's been hacked. We think it's an Iranian actor.

[A]

Good.

[C]

What don't they tell the FBI? This is really bad. We're loaded with classified information.

[A]

So.

[C]

So, yes, two things can be true at once. Strong case, written by professionals. Not. This is not a Lindsay Halligan indictment out of the Eastern District of Virginia. Right.

[A]

This one was in Maryland. It was a Greenbelt Maryland. Right. Yeah, but still D.C. suburbs. Yeah.

[C]

It's serious. People writing a serious indictment. All, all serious. And then, comma, let's, let's be real. The timing of this is horrible. It comes just days after Trump said to Attorney General Bondi, you know, Bolton's gotta, gotta be addressed. So is it revenge? Yeah, absolutely. We can't ignore the fact that under the Biden administration, the FBI knew there were problems with Bolton and classified information. We learned in the indictment. The FBI's interviewed Bolton eight times over the years. So why, if I'm defending Bolton, I'm usually on the prosecution side, but if I'm defending Bolton, what am I going to say? A couple things. He had a skiff, he was confused, blah, blah, blah. That's not going to really work. But, yeah, I'm going to, in discovery, I'm going to say, I want to know why my client wasn't charged under the previous administration. I want all of that, all of those emails internal to the U.S. attorney's office. I want to, I want to depose the Assistant U.S. attorneys in person as to why this guy was not charged. That, that's going to get interesting, no question.

[A]

And to me, I mean, this is why, if you're a prosecutor, if you, if you're a federal Prosecutor in that U.S. attorney's office, you must be intensely frustrated that Donald Trump went on social media and was popping off about John Bolton. Because, I mean, it's kind of, I mean, it's a, it's a gift to his defense attorneys. I mean, you could say vengeful prosecution, and a judge would have to consider it, even if, even with the, the volume of evidence that you're talking about, it seems to me, yeah, Trump's his.

[C]

Own worst enemy in these prosecutions. And it's particularly true for, for Comey, for Leticia James. Strong case for vindictive prosecution there. And, and if it's permitted in, in a trial, juries are not going to like it. They're not, they're not going to like that. Essentially, Trump ordered his DOJ to do this.

[A]

Yeah. And I wanted to ask you about the Comey case because, I mean, this is, I would assume you would agree that this is just blatant vengeful prosecution, that this is a political prosecution, the kind of, the kind of thing that we just don't see in the United States. And does it stand out to you as much as it stands out to me and to a lot of Americans as just something that really just stands. It just stinks to high heaven. There's just no other way to describe. There's no, there's no, you can't justify it. You can't figure out a way to say this is a legitimate case. It seems to me, I'm a layman, so I don't know.

[C]

As my mother used to say frequently, this is why we can't have nice things. No, this is an embarrassment for this country. It is, it is so transparently vengeful. And, and it's reflected in the weakness. And I'm saying that lightly. The weakness of this indictment is also embarrassing. Do you know, it's, it's well reported that Lindsey Halligan, former Miss Colorado and can't, you know, what's the word I'm looking for? She didn't win, I don't think, but she. Whatever. And insurance.

[A]

Contender.

[C]

Yeah, like contender. Okay. Yeah. Contestant. Contestant.

[A]

Oh, I see what you mean. Yes.

[C]

I'm not up on Awful Beauty.

[A]

That.

[C]

But she has to not only go for ausas outside of her district, they come from North Carolina, for God's sakes. Imagine.

[A]

I saw that.

[C]

Imagine the, the, the incredibly respected Eastern District of Virginia prosecution, prosecutors saying, I'm not doing it. Imagine. And, and then secondly, but what's not been widely reported, Jim, is she had to go outside the FBI in Virginia. She, she took on a retired FBI executive as her investigator for this case. You know who that is? It's the same guy who was assigned to John Durham to work the Russia investigation. Of the Russia investigation. So your, your own AUSAs are saying, no, thank you, The FBI office doesn't get the case, and she does not know what she's doing. And she may not be lawfully appointed, so we may not even get to trial here.

[A]

Well, and that's true. The Comey attorneys are, they're pushing that very point that she's just not a legitimate US Attorney and all this. So the case just goes bye bye. I saw something recently where Jack Smith, the former special counsel and perhaps you saw this, he did an interview with Andrew Weissman over in London and I was interesting to see Jack Smith making some comments. But he, he made a very good point during this conversation with Andrew Weissman. He said, we are now living in a world, I'm paraphrasing, but we're living in a world now where they indict James Comey. But signal gate, no indictments coming out of signal gate, which is, I mean, it's a great point. I mean that is some horseshit that that signal gate results in no, and I guess no investigation. It seems to me I'm not aware.

[C]

Of any, any credible investigation. Again, the FBI would have been the one to take a look at that.

[A]

Right.

[C]

You know that we've got a Trump appointed FBI director who seems wholly uninterested in that. We've had statements saying there's nothing there, don't worry about it. Allegedly, the, the Pentagon's IG looked at it. There's nothing serious going on. And you know, the more important part of a case like that, Jim, is always the damage assessment. The damage. Where could this have gone? Look, we just talked about Bolton being hacked by the Iranians. Well, who do you think is hacking and monitoring the phones of all of these cabinet level people on that signal chat? Everyone. Everyone and their brother.

[A]

That's right. No, it's, it's so true. And, and I, I, you know, the Tom Homan case with the bag of cash and all this, it just seems to me that there's selective prosecution going on and they're just doing it kind of out. And I guess, Frank, since this is our first time talking, I did want to ask you sort of the, the thing that I like to ask really good legal experts and law enforcement experts, and that is what is your assessment of the way Merrick Garland handled the, the Trump cases and handing those over to Jack Smith as late as he did? Because it seems to me that that is, we're going to look back at that, that decision making process, that sort of hands off process that Merrick Garland took sort of a little too delicately, avoiding political controversy and so on. And it's just spectacularly blown up in our faces as a country. The fact that the January 6 case was not prosecuted more vigorously in terms of the people at the top of that scheme and also Trump's own classified documents fiasco. I mean that too. What are your thoughts on that, if I may, and I hate to ask you, like kind of an oddball question out of nowhere, but it's something I still think about to this day.

[C]

No, you're right to think that history is going to be scrutinizing this forever. So I'm going to lump in. I'm going to go ahead and lump in Bob Mueller as well, who I worked for, I was assistant director while during his tenure and his special counsel inquiry, I think they both, here's the deal. Trump was, was, you know, an MMA fighter and they were boxing and, you know, Trump's playing chess, they're playing checkers. You use whatever analogy you want, but there was a genteel rule following thing going on there that did not sense the gravity of the situation and the existential threat to the justice system. And so you say, well, Frank, what you. A couple of things. One is there's a lot of people out there saying Merrick Garland did nothing. That's not true. He did. He actually was working this. But I think the most disturbing thing to me was how long it took first to get Jack Smith on board. Because after that, Jack Smith moved with all alacrity. But yeah, waiting for Congress, it was this, you know, I don't know what to do. I don't want it. Very typical of doj bureaucratic. We don't want to mess with anything. We don't want to be the one, you know, it's the referee on the football field that doesn't want to be the one that decides the game one way or another. And though he doesn't make, so he doesn't make any calls waiting for Congress. In the history of my 25 year tenure at the FBI, I'm going to be honest with you, I never viewed congressional investigations as anything serious.

[A]

They're not right.

[C]

And so we would never wait. Sometimes, you know, we might be asked, hey, can you hold on? No, God darn it, we're not. Yeah, you guys can't investigate your way out of a paper bag. But yet, Garland. So one, I, I don't believe that in this case, the January 6th committee did a hell of a job. But number two, no, you don't have to wait. I understand what you're doing. You want the people to, you want to let this play out on TV before you make a call. But that's the wrong call to make.

[A]

Right. And, and they wanted to avoid the appearance of vengeful prosecution or political prosecution. And what are we in the middle of right now? An era of political prosecution by the people who should have been prosecuted to avoid this. But anyway, that's just me going off on a tangent on a Friday. But Frank, the other. The last thing I wanted to. To get to you on is the state of the FBI, because I'm sure you revere the organization and have a lot of affection for the organization. All these years later, these reports that, you know, they're going to try to change the nature of how FBI agents are hired and they don't need to have college degrees anymore, and they're, you know, FBI agents are being pulled off of their assignments to go work on ice. And I mean, it's. There's. I think there's damage being done to this institution, it seems to me.

[C]

I. I'm convinced, and I don't want to be the. The dark person here, but I have to tell you, something bad is going to happen. We are as vulnerable as we've been perhaps since 9 11. And why do I say that?

[A]

You.

[C]

You referred to agents being pulled off to help chase migrants around. They're getting. They're coming off of the JTTs, the Joint Terrorism Task Forces. They're coming off. Some reports say they're coming out of counterintelligence work. This is national security stuff. These were the top priorities in the FBI. Stop the next terror attack and catch spies. And Patel's response on the Hill when asked about this was, oh, they can do two things at once. You can be at the Home Depot in the morning and still work your counterterror caseload. Absolutely not. You. You cannot. That's why after 9 11, the FBI said, I don't care what size the field office is, it could be the Mobile, Alabama Division. You're going to have a dedicated JTTF and a dedicated counterintelligence squad, period. End of discussion. Before that, they had been, you know, squads where you throw. It's like the drawer in your kitchen where you throw the rubber bands and the scissors, you know? Oh, yeah, that squad has counterintel, counterterrorism, civil rights, and applicant work. So that stopped. And you can't do two things at once in national security. Number one. Number two, crimes against children, agents, you know, sex trafficking internationally. They're being pulled off of that. But we also don't even know, Jim. We can't get a straight answer on how many personnel are gone since Patel took over. The latest testimony on the Hill was they think it's 5,000. And they asked Patel, is it 5,000? Are we missing 5,000 employees? And he. There was no straight answer. As far as my recollection is, it was. Yeah, I'll have to get that number. Yeah, that sounds right.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

So, okay, let's think if you think it's massive organization. There's only 14,000 special agents that cover the world for the FBI. Total employees were closer to 37, 38,000. We don't know how many of those 5,000 were agents or not. I can tell you this, I have never seen more retirements happening. You know, every time I look at an email, it's this guy retired. Here's the party. See you by no party. I don't want a party. Get me out of here. If you're eligible to retire, you're going. And that, that lack of experience coupled with incoming people who are going to get, I kid you not, eight weeks of training. If they come from a prior law enforcement background, no college degree, if they come from a priority prior law enforcement background, how are those people going to work complex international transnational crimes? Take down corporate fraud. They're not the number one priority now for the FBI peers to be, quote, crush violent crime. And, and by the way, you don't crush violent crime by patrolling the streets of D.C. in an FBI ray jacket. You don't.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, they look like that when they're in Georgetown. I'm like, okay, well you know, hope you had a nice dinner or you know, got, got, got a couple of minutes in at this shop or whatever. I mean it's just, it's, it's nuts what's been taking place here in D.C. but Frank, I'm so glad we got a chance to, to talk and let's do this more often. Something tells me we're gonna have plenty to chew on here in the coming days.

[C]

I think so thanks for having me. Enjoy the weekend.

[A]

You too. Thanks, Frank.

[C]

Take care.

[A]

Really appreciate it. Frank Figluzzi. And I mean he, he, he summed it up, I think just perfectly. And that gave me a chill, I have to say. Not something I was expecting on a Friday to hear the great Frank Figloozi say that we are as vulnerable as we have been since 911 as a country because of what Donald Trump is doing to the intelligence community right now. I mean that is a scary proposition, folks. And it's all the more reason why you can't have a king in this country acting like a dictator. And so listen, you know, you may have things to do, you may have things on the calendar for Saturday. You were going to go get some pumpkins and get ready for Halloween. Nope. There's another orange faced thing that we need to be dealing with and that is Donald Trump and no kings. Day 2.0. It's back and so is our big coverage. You're going to want to tune in for this big special event. That's right. Joy, Don, myself, we're all back. Donald Trump is now, he looks like the Quaker Oats guy. I'm not sure why he has that hairpiece there. But that's what, that's what, that's what the Don and Joy folks came up with. And I'd love it. Personally, I think that's that it's a good look for him and it's. So we're going to be out there in force tomorrow on Saturday covering this from soup to nuts. And we want you to join us. It'll be on my substack and YouTube channels, the same channels for Joy and Don, all the socials, wherever you can watch live programming such as ours and independent media. Make sure you tune in tomorrow. We've got a ton of guests. I can't even go through all the guests right now. I'm not even sure how we're going to get all these guests in while also covering no Kings Day. But it's going to be, it's going to be a real treat. And I'm really glad that Joanne and Donna myself have gotten back together for this. The other thing I want to, I just want to mention finally, and I know I should not get triggered on a Friday, I got slightly triggered by J.D. vance and his answer on the, the white supremacist kids that he, that he called kids in the Telegram chat. That was absolute horseshit. But I, I think J.D. vance has been topped this week by none other than the White House press secretary, the minister of information over at the White House, Caroline Levitt. Listen to what she had to say on Fox, which apparently the people on Fox did not even correct her when she said this in reference to the Democratic Party and the people, I guess, who are going to be out protesting and so on. She was going off on all of that. Let's listen to what she had to say.

[B]

That the Democrat constituency are made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals. That is who the Democrats Democrat Party is catering to. Not the Trump administration and not the White House and not the Republican Party, who is standing up for law abiding Americans not just across the country but around the world.

[A]

And that, I mean, there she, she's also talking about mom Donnie, who apparently is had by a gazillion points in New York. I will just say, I mean, I covered the White House for seven and a half years and I know this may be a quaint notion. But the job of the White House press secretary is to deliver information, reliable, accurate, truthful information to the American people, to people all around the world. And Caroline Levitt has been an absolute disaster as the White House press secretary. She is so far, she is now out spicering Sean Spicer, she is out Huckabeeing Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and she's in a class all to her own. And she, she accuses the Democratic Party of being part of Hamas and communists and all this nonsense that she was spewing over at Fox. And the people on Fox, they just sat there and listened to her spew that nonsense. It's absolutely ridiculous. And to me, it just goes to show you who Donald Trump wants representing the American people, who Donald Trump wants representing the, the government of the United States of America. This, this smiling, I guess if she's going to toss around names, do they, do they want to be called fascists over there at the White House, white nationalists over there at the White House? I mean, she, the way she is talking it is absolutely reprehensible. And we've, I mean, I, I suppose the partisans on corporate media, on social media, you know, they can sling those kinds of words back and forth and call people names like that, but to stoop to that kind of name calling as the White House press secretary, as the press secretary to the President of the United States, she has so cheapened that position that it doesn't have the stature that it once had because she holds that job. And it is, to me, it's, it's, it's just a shameful failure on her part that she continues to talk like this in these White House briefings, continues to talk like this in these interviews with, with, with news outlets and media outlets like Fox. It's just, it's not who we are as a country. And I mean, I don't think I've ever heard a Democratic spokesperson over at the White House acting as the press secretary, talking about Republicans in that fashion. But this is just another day that ends in y over at the Trump White House, where the demonization of political enemies, the prosecution of political enemies is now the norm. This is who we've become as a country. And let's face it, if Donald Trump and his people only think of Democrats in that fashion, that they're all pro Hamas, that they're all pro antifa, that they're all communists and so on, they can belittle their political opposition in that fashion, of course, then you, you may wonder how is it that you know that we can see ice going around the country looking like government stormtroopers. How is it that we can see Donald Trump bringing his political enemies into federal court on trumped up charges? It's because they, they see the opposition in this fashion. And it's, you know, I can sit here and call Caroline Levitt names, but I mean, to me, she herself is an insult to the title of press secretary. And it's just, it's a crying shame what has happened to that job over at the White House. It used to be, it used to be the kind of job that, that made your career, that, that, that made your life. You know, I've covered a number of press secretaries who've had that position and then gone on to have having terrific careers in the corporate world or political world, you name it. What is Caroline Levitt going to have coming to her? A podcast job on Fox? Maybe she'll be an anchor on oan. Is that what you want, Caroline? That the kind of life you want to carve out for yourself? Because guess what, you're, you're, you're heading right in that direction with that kind of, that you were spewing on FOX the other day. And I want to hang on. And on a negative note, I want to go back and think about the great Kathy Griffin. I'm so glad that she has been uncanceled. I'm so glad that she is appearing in places like People magazine. She's got her own comedy special coming up on YouTube. And it just goes to show you, folks, you can get knocked down by this guy. You can get, you can be on the mat, you can be down for the count and you can still get back up and, and, and start swinging again. And that's what Kathy's doing. So I'm really glad to see that as well. Thanks to Kathy Griffin, my thanks to Frank Figluzzi, and my thanks to all of you. Another week has ended and really appreciate everybody tuning in. And you know what? Don't forget, we haven't completely ended. Don't forget tomorrow, no Kings Day, you'll have the no Kings Day coverage with Joy and Don and myself. But finally, I don't say this enough, but I'm going to say it here. I try to say it on as many Fridays as I can remember to do it. Thanks to all of you for subscribing, for keeping this show going. When you hit that like button, when you hit that subscribe button, when you become a part of this independent news community, it makes a huge difference. It gets Other people watching. It gets the rest of the. The folks at Legacy Media watching. Just last night, we had this town hall with Michael Fanone down at University of Virginia, and we had a. We had an audience that was just mesmerized as Mike told a story from January 6th that day. And I met a student from the University of Virginia, a student journalist named Sophia, who was booted out of her job as a student journalist with the campus TV station there because she was asking the president of UVA some tough questions. I wouldn't be able to host a town hall like that where a moment like that can happen if it weren't for the support that all of you give. And if you want to hear Sophia's story, my friend Tommy Christopher, Mediaite, has already written a story about it. I'll post that on my substack so you guys can see that later. But. But it just goes to show you that the support that you give to this program, it makes a difference. When I finished that discussion with Mike at uva, Mike said to me later on that night, thank you, Jim. Thank you. We're trying to give a platform to people whose voices have been suppressed, whose voices have not been given a fair shake. And that's what this community is all about. And I love that it's growing and thriving. And that's because all of you. So thanks very much for that. Really appreciate that. Just wanted to end on that note of gratitude here on this Friday. Still reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. Have a great weekend. I'll see you on. No, Kings Day.

[B]

We had the opportunity to meet former Vice President Kamala Harris. And I got to speak to her for a minute, and first of all, that was epic. I was in a line because I read her book 107 Days, which I really liked, and we were talking for a second, and she said, continue to speak truth to power. Which I was very flattered that she would say that to me because most politicians are afraid of me because I'm a radical. And then I said, madam Vice President, I shouldn't swear around you, but I just think you're the shit. And then you know what she said to me? She turned to me and she goes, take no shit. What? So that's. I feel that's the edict that she has given to me. So I'm taking no shit this week. Donald Trump is a bad dude. And you'll see, history will reflect. But for now, you can just take my word for it if you don't feel like paying attention to politics.

[A]

Sam Sa.