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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. Welcome to the Jim Acosta Show. It's another day that ends in Y and the chaos unleashed by Donald Trump in the Middle East. Trump is adding to that chaos by threatening to commit war crimes unless Iran agrees to, quote, open the straight crazy bastards, end quote. That is a quote from a Trump Truth Social post over the weekend. Much of Washington clutched their pearls when they heard that. But let's discuss with California Congressman Ro Khanna. Congressman, good to see you.
- [00:37]
B
Always good to see you, Jim. Thanks for having me.
- [00:39]
A
And I hope you'll forgive the language, but that's. That's the language from the President of the United States. I did want to point out you've been pretty close with the Congresswoman, or former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene lately. You worked on the Epstein files together. She put out a post just in the last day questioning Trump's sanity. And I know they've been going back and forth with one another, but I think it still carries some weight, at least in the Republican Party. And she says everyone in this administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshiping the president and intervene in Trump's badness. I know all of you and him, and he has gone and insane. What are your thoughts? I mean, you know, there are some of your colleagues in the Democratic Party saying that the 25th. It's time for the 25th amendment. What do you think?
- [01:30]
B
Well, he's committed impeachable acts. He is doing this on Easter Sunday, as Marjorie Taylor Greene pointed out, he's threatening war crimes, and this is leaving us less safe. Before he started the war, gas was at $2.30 a gallon. Now gas is at $4 a gallon. Every time he makes one of these threats, we actually see the gas prices increase. He's doing nothing to open up the Strait of Hormuz. What he's doing is escalating the threats to our troops. We saw our own airmen shot out of the skies because of the danger that he's creating. So he needs to end this war. We need an immediate ceasefire. But I do believe that he's no longer capable of governing, that there are very serious issues about his stability. And what he has done, what Heg said has done, which Rubio has done, are basically, basically threatening war crimes. We need to have accountability.
- [02:33]
A
Yeah. So it sounds like you don't think he's playing with a full deck either.
- [02:38]
B
No, I mean, how can you think that when he's cursing out at the Iranian regime, when he's threatening War crimes. I mean, look, he's obviously angry. He's angry that this war has not gone as he planned. They still have the nuclear capability underground. The regime that's in power today is more hardline than Khamenei, who we assassinated. Gas prices are up. China has a greater influence in the world. He's made a colossal blunder, a blunder greater than the Iraq war. And he's lashing out because he has no tools of statesmanship. No, he's totally incapable of the job. The problem is that Vance and Rubio aren't more capable either. I mean, they lied to the American people saying they weren't going to get us into these wars, and they have. But we have to be very plain as Democrats. He's threatening war crimes. He's committing impeachable offenses. Exit and Rubio and we need to stand up and tell the American people the truth of what's going on.
- [03:41]
A
Yeah. And you know, there's a lot of folks who thought that Trump started this war with Iran to sort of get the Epstein files off his back. And just before the Easter weekend, he fired the Attorney general, Pam Bondi. You've been very critical of Pam Bondi when she was Attorney General and her handling of the Epstein files. How did you react to that, that firing? And what do you think about Todd Blanche? Because it sounds as though Todd Blanche is going to basically continue the Epstein files cover up in the same way that Pam Bonnie did, or maybe even worse.
- [04:10]
B
Well, what I've said is that the Senate Democrats need to have a clear standard. We will not confirm the new attorney General unless the attorney General commits to releasing all the Epstein files without redactions, just protecting survivors and starting investigations and prosecutions against the Epstein class, including people like Les Wexner and Leon Black, who have very serious charges against them. The reality is that Massie and my efforts show that Congress doesn't have to be a doormat. You don't just need to be flailing around and saying, woe is me, Donald Trump's president, we don't control anything. When we build coalitions like we did with Nancy Mason, Marjorie Taylor Greene, who you mentioned, and Lauren Boebert, we can actually pass things in defiance of Trump, and we can force Donald Trump to fire his own attorney general. And I want more of our leaders to be building those kind of coalitions to being creative and taking the fight to Trump, who is engaged in a totally lawless administration, who's getting us into wars, who's threatening us, threatening to commit war crimes. We need to be standing up. And we've shown with the Epstein files it can be done.
- [05:19]
A
And I know that one of the things that you'd like to see happen in the next several weeks, I guess King Charles is coming to Washington to visit with Donald Trump. And the Epstein survivors would very much like to meet with King Charles. Of course, former Prince Albert has been ensnared in the investigation over in the UK we don't see the same kind of accountability taking place here in the U.S. i mean, I sort of wonder why Donald Trump is not being asked on a regular basis why he won't meet with the Epstein survivors. Donald Trump should meet with the Epstein survivors. But your thoughts on the King coming and why it would be important for him to meet with these Epstein survivors?
- [05:58]
B
Well, Jim, the survivors actually asked to meet with Donald Trump twice during the press conferences and he responded by calling them a hoax. So he absolutely should be meeting them. He needs to come in front of the Oversight Committee. He needs to be testifying. But the survivors have also said how much it would mean to them to meet with King Charles. Obviously, King Charles's brother, former Prince Andrew, has very serious allegations, criminal prosecution. Charles, King Charles could say that he understands these survivors pain and trauma. And he's not going to be on the side of the Epstein class, the rich and powerful men who abused these girls and felt the rules didn't apply to them. He's going to be on the side of the survivors. And what I've explained to the British government and in our letter to King Charlton in my interviews with the British press is this is a defining moment for the British monarchy. They're either going to be relevant in the modern era and say they're going to tackle climate and they're going to stand with survivors and they're going to be for human rights, or they're going to be a relic of the past if they are seen as just defending rich and powerful people who committed heinous crimes. So I hope King Charles will really think about this and take the meeting.
- [07:14]
A
And I shouldn't let the subject of Pam Bonnie slide without asking you. I mean, I assume you and your fellow House Democrats, you still want to see Pam Bondi testify. Just, just because of the fact that she's not the Attorney General anymore doesn't mean that she shouldn't testify. I assume that's going to be pretty much the, the posture for everybody on, on your side of the aisle.
- [07:33]
B
Yes. And it's the posture, by the way, of Nancy Mace, the Republican I spoke to her last night. And she said, absolutely, Pam Bondi needs to testify. By the way, Tim Comer went after Hillary Clinton to testify. Hillary Clinton has been out of office for the last 20 years and had nothing directly to do with Epstein. Here you have an attorney general who's just been out for a week and a half, who was involved with a cover up of the Epstein files, who made the decisions not to prosecute the people in the Epstein files. We absolutely need to hear from her. And frankly, she'd be more free to tell the truth, right?
- [08:07]
A
I mean, it sounds as though they're going to try to, I would assume they're going to try to invoke some sort of executive privilege over her or they're going to try to block her from testifying. But I guess we'll see. I guess we'll see what happens with that. But I do want to ask you about something that's related to this. I think the, it was the journalist David Serrata. He put out a tweet, we can put it up on screen that says that I'd say Ro Khan as Epstein crusade directly forcing Trump to fire his own attorney general immediately makes Roe a top tier 2028 contender for the Democratic presidential nomination. What do you say, Congressman, what do you think? Are we going to count you in here as, as running for that here in the next couple of years? What's going on?
- [08:49]
B
My focus is to have an anti Trump corruption agenda and we don't take back the House. We may not have a 2028 election. We've got to stop the war, we've got to stop his crypto grift, we've got to stop his lawlessness, we've got to stop the voter intimidation with the SAVE Act. But you know, 2028 will come and we should have a lot of people run. And I have an economic vision and obviously have taken on corruption. But right now we need to focus on the midterms, making sure Hakeem Jeffries wins and making sure we stop Trump's corruption.
- [09:23]
A
But of course, I'm obligated to ask you the follow up. Are, are you, are you thinking about it? Are you looking at it?
- [09:28]
B
Well, look, I believe I have an economic vision that is actually for the working class, that takes on the Epstein class, people who have shafted and rigged the economy and has bold ideas. Medicare for all, childcare, $10 a day, a Marshall Plan for America, good jobs that aren't wiped out by AI. And I believe I understand the modern economy in a way that really can help Working class folks and not just the tech billionaires. So, yes, I believe I have an economic vision that should be considered, but I'm not going to make any of those decisions until after the midterm.
- [10:00]
A
Got it. Okay. And you know, getting back to the economy, I mean, I suppose it's something that, that we should be talking about a whole lot more. I saw today that inside the Federal Reserve there are discussions happening right now as to whether interest rates are going to have to be raised because inflation is ticking back up again due to the high gas prices. And that this is now, it sounds like it's a live option. You know, I kind of wonder where this economy is going to be in a few months from now, six months from now, if this war grinds on and these gas prices stay where they are right now.
- [10:37]
B
You know what's sad, Jim, is that it is totally a self created mess by Donald Trump. He chose to go into war with Iran that is increasing fertilizer prices, increasing gas prices, that's increasing the price of fuel, fuel and the price of food for ordinary Americans. At the same time, he's chosen these blanket tariffs and these draconian restrictions of immigration that are slowing down the economy and not creating good paying jobs. And so the Fed is left with an impossible situation. They have to raise interest rates to deal with the inflation Trump's causing. And at the same time, they know the slowing job market and they know AI is wiping out some of these entry level jobs. So we need a totally new economic direction. We need an economic direction that it's actually going to lower these costs and that's going to create good jobs. And that's why we need to bring Trump's agenda to an end.
- [11:30]
A
All right, well, Congressman Rocon, I really appreciate it. That was, I, I think that was kind of A yes on 2028. I know it's 2026.
- [11:39]
B
You still got the CNN in you.
- [11:43]
A
I'm trying, believe me, I'm trying to get rid of it. But you know, I think this, I
- [11:49]
B
think we've got to go after the corruption agenda, the corruption, not just the Trump, but of a system that is shafted working class, middle class Americans and then offer a real bold economic vision for the future. And I want to be part of that conversation. But we've got to get through 2026. And if we get through 2026, it's all going to be moved. By the way, we have a lot of great people actually in our party and I, I believe that once we see all the talent of Our party people are going to realize it's going to be team Democrats that are going to fix this country and take us forward and, and put Trump in the rearview mirror.
- [12:23]
A
And I guess related to that, is it part of the reason, I mean, part of the reason why you're thinking about all this is that the Democrat, Democratic Party just needs fresh faces. Do you think it needs some fresh faces right now? I mean, you know, I saw there was this whole discussion about whether you should be going on certain podcasts and that sort of thing. And you know, it just seems to me that the party itself should be speaking to different communities, different, different corners of American society out there that the Democratic Party maybe took for granted. I mean, I don't know your thoughts.
- [12:59]
B
I totally agree with you. I think we need not just fresh faces, we need fresh ideas and a fresh approach. I mean, the fact that we aren't going on independent media, that people think, okay, you just go on the Sunday shows, which I love, and the cable news and that's enough. Well, you're missing 60, 70% of, of America and you're missing also the anger and frustration of a lot of the next generation. And by the way, you know, they're not going to speak in perfect sentences and some of their thoughts are going to be sensational. And if you just say, okay, we're not going to engage, if you aren't saying things that are fit for Sunday TV or for church, you're, you're going to miss a lot of the electorate. So we need to have people who understand the anger and frustration, understand why there is that anger. We have 19 billionaires with 12.5% of the economy and 70% of Americans who don't believe that the American dream exists. They can't afford housing, they can't afford rent, they can't afford groceries. They aren't in good paying jobs. That's why they're frustrated. And so I think we need people who are going to speak to that frustration and then offer a real economic vision of how we're going to get working class families, kids to have economic security, on child care, on health care, on good jobs, on housing, and reject the status quo. And by the way, reject the status quo on foreign policy, call out these wars, call out the genocide that took place in Gaza, say we're not going to give military sales anymore to Israel, we're going to have a more moral foreign policy, we're not going to have a fuel blockade on Cuba, you know, that we're not going to be in the Business of starving people. We need a new moral direction in this country, a new economic vision. And the status quo failed. And I just think that that perspective has been missing in our party. Why we lost young voters, why we lost some working class voters.
- [14:44]
A
No question about it. And I think that when you talk about Cuba, I think a lot of people, it's a sleeper issue. A lot of people are paying attention to it. They're mortified by what's taking place. The news media, I don't think they really know how to cover it. And people tend to think, well, you know, just the status quo policy group, think of the Republican Party on Cuba is just going to carry the day. And I just don't think that that's where the American people are. I think a lot of people are paying attention to the starvation and the suffering of the Cuban people right now. But, Congressman, really appreciate the time. Thank you very much.
- [15:18]
B
Thank you, Jim. Always a pleasure.
- [15:22]
A
All right. And that was Congressman Ro Khanna. It was interesting that he was mentioning how there's such a fertilizer shortage around the world right now because of what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz. I'm surprised to hear that, given how much fertilizer Donald Trump spreads around. But on that note, let's bring in veteran White House journalist Brian Karam. Brian, on a Monday here. Good to see you, man.
- [15:45]
C
Good to see you, too, brother.
- [15:47]
B
You.
- [15:47]
C
You nailed it, man. There's more. There's more BS in the White House and on 50 acres of my favorite farm.
- [15:55]
A
So, yeah, just back that truck back up to the White House and just fill her up. Fill her up, Mac. Brian, we got a lot of ground to cover here because Trump had a ridiculous press conference and, you know, he was saying all kinds of kooky stuff. And it seems to me that, you know, and you called this out on your sub stack. That was why I reached out that. I mean, and it's, I think, very much exemplified by the truth social post he put out over the weekend. Open up the straight, you crazy bastard. You know, he's nuts, he's insane.
- [16:33]
C
I, I don't think there's any other way to put it. You and I covered him. I mean, I remember you and I exchanging looks in the, in a briefing room a couple times going, did he just.
- [16:43]
D
What the.
- [16:44]
C
And that was then. I remember asking him if he was delusional after he refused to admit that he lost in the 2020 election. Right now, I don't think there's much left of him. That's cogent I think it's full on dementia, baby. And look, I'm not a, I'm not a, I'm not a doctor. But, you know, I do know doctors. And you and I both know that it was several doctors in that first meeting when he's Dr. Ronnie said he'd live to be 200. And I'm standing next to Sanjay Gupta and Sanjay's gun. This guy's full of, you know. Yeah. So, you know, we know it's, I'm not a doctor. I can't diagnose it. But I've had enough. I, you know, my, I've had relatives who've had this problem. He was out in the, what, what resembles the Rose Garden or what is now the Rose Garden or the South Lawn today with that stain on his right arm and palm. And it's the fact that he changes his speech. I mean, he'll say we've won, but this is why we got to keep going. I mean, he just, he, he constantly, constantly contradicts himself from one sentence to the next. It's not normal. And I've always said, and I, I know you and I have talked about it before. I don't expect that the 25th Amendment, him, or that they will impeach him until after the midterm, but if they do, if he goes belly up and starts babbling like a drunken cicada, and they have to, I do believe that's why we're seeing more of JD Vance out and about these days. I think they're, they're getting him warmed up in the bullpen just for a late inning, you know, change of picture, but we'll see. I, I, it's nuts, man. I, I think he's just gone.
- [18:25]
A
And, and I, I do, too. And I think, you know, but I don't know about J.D. vance, and I don't know if the party fully trusts that he could be the heir apparent or that he could,
- [18:34]
C
I agree with you.
- [18:35]
A
Together. And so they're in a real jam because, you know, he just sounds, Trump just sounds batshit crazy all the time now. And I'm just, you know, thinking about some of the stuff that he's saying during the briefing. One thing that he is still capable of doing is, is leveling threats. And I guess there was one thing that did happen during the briefing that I think was newsworthy. He was essentially threatening a reporter to hand over. Yeah. Handing, handing over the leaked information that was leaked to him. This was in the Hill. Trump on Monday said his administration looking for a leaker who shared information with the media about a daring rescue mission after US Fighter jet was downed inside Iran last week. Let's, let's listen to that and talk about on the other side.
- [19:15]
C
Sure.
- [19:15]
D
We've got leaker because that's a sick person. Probably didn't realize the extent of how bad it was. I can't imagine that the person did. But we're going to find out. It's national security. And the person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn't say. And that doesn't last long. And I think everybody would understand that. They put this mission at great risk. They put that man at great risk and they put the hundreds of people that went in looking for him because everyone now knows that we're going in.
- [19:47]
A
Yeah, the reporter did not put anybody at great risk. No, Donald Trump's putting a lot of people at great risk all the time. But I mean, your thoughts on this, Brian, because it's, it's insane that, I mean, getting back to the insanity thing, it's insane that he is threatening reporters in this fashion. But that, that part makes sense. That adds up. That's who he is.
- [20:03]
C
Yeah, well, let's, let's break that down. And he says the reporter put him at great risk. Well, we all know that an F6, F15 Strike Eagle has, is a two seater. So if you've recovered one, that means you still got someone else to recover. So that's not a violation of national security. However, when the general in charge of the recovery effort tells the President of the United States not to tell how many people were involved in the operation, and he says hundreds, that might be putting people in jeopardy. So it was Donald Trump who put people in jeopardy, not the reporter. As far as a national security issue, look, they've jailed me. As you know, this is not something that's going to stick. And he can threaten. He threatened you. He threatened. Hell, he yanked our press passes and would have loved to have jailed both of us in his first administration. And he couldn't do it. So this is an empty threat.
- [20:55]
A
And it leads me to this question and I, you know, I was wondering what you thought about this. Apparently they've invited Donald Trump to the White House correspondence dinner and he has said yes, and, and allegedly he is going to appear at the White House correspondence center. What are your thoughts on that, Brian? I mean, my sense of it is, is that, I mean, what I understand to be the case is that they just sort of do this every year. They invite the President. They see if he'll come. And surprisingly, to the, to the board, to the Correspondence association, he said, yes, but I, you know, to me, we're at a place now where that invitation should not be extended. He should not be speaking at that event. And my feeling is, is that the journalists should not be showing up at this. Apparently, they're going to be wearing pins or the First Amendment on their. Who gives a. About pins?
- [21:39]
C
Right.
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A
And, you know, he doesn't give a about pins. And to me, a bigger statement needs to be made. I don't think people should go to the dinner. The other parties, whatever, but the dinner.
- [21:48]
C
No, I. Look, I would like to see reporters standing up for one another like you and I and Peter Alexander did and who else? Steve Holland in the first administration. I remember when Trump went after you and Peter Alexander said, no, wait a minute. He's a good reporter. He's asking a decent question. And he got pissed off at Peter. How many times did we back each other up with a question he wouldn't answer? And we won't even do that in the press briefing room wearing a pin to the White House Correspondence Dinner. The White House Correspondence Dinner has. The White House Correspondence association has basically ceded its authority and any legitimacy it ever had to Donald Trump by not pushing back when he decided he was going to staff the press pool, the only people he ever appears to anymore. Today he showed up in the briefing room with a bunch of his henchmen and he took a few questions. He's only been in there three times in the last year.
- [22:43]
A
He doesn't do many of those kinds of press conferences. He does, like the gaggles and the right photo ops.
- [22:48]
C
He doesn't even do the. He doesn't even do. Remember when we would go out there for the, you know, chopper talk? He doesn't even do that much anymore. He's. He's not in a good way and he's trying. And he looks increasingly slovenly and lax in his appearance and in his demeanor. So that.
- [23:05]
A
Which, yeah, his hair today looked really. I mean, they were. I saw some screenshots of the hair today. Wow.
- [23:11]
C
He had bed head rolled out of it. But all of that aside, what is the White House Correspondent Association? What are we. What are they trying to tell people by having a guy who's so disgustingly divisive towards the press calls us today. Fake news, fake media. Why would you invite him? In fact, why would you show up to that? When we invited him in the first. There were people during the first administration who said, if he shows up, I Wouldn't be there. Well.
- [23:40]
A
And especially if he's threatening to jail journalists. If they're arresting journalists or. Or like Don Lemon, or raiding the homes of journalists.
- [23:47]
C
Yes.
- [23:48]
A
You know, this goes way beyond, you know, banning the AP from the Oval Office, which is a travesty, or stocking the White House press pool with ringers, which they've done.
- [23:56]
C
Which they're.
- [23:57]
A
Now we're in the authoritarian phase of all of this. Arresting, seizing, you know, going after reporters, threatening jail time. I mean, it's nuts.
- [24:06]
C
Well, and then he goes out and says to today in the briefing room how Iran is killing people. You know, they're shooting people that are expressing their. Their First Amendment rights. Well, okay, maybe it's better here because you're only jailing them and firing them and leaving them out of the room, but that's.
- [24:26]
A
Well, they shot Renee. Good. And they shot Alex. They're shooting protesters.
- [24:29]
D
Yes.
- [24:30]
C
So how are. How is he any different than Iran? And he's not. He's just. By a matter of degree. Well, that doesn't encourage me at all. And, you know, we talk about. Yeah, I know. And. And Ro, you just had him on talking about how we're talking about this. The war and these problems with the press to deflect from Epstein. Yeah, I firmly believe that soon you'll be talking about Epstein to deflect from the war, because. That's right. It's not going well, pal.
- [25:02]
A
And it reminds me about as popular as Jeffrey Epstein.
- [25:05]
C
No, and it. It really bothers me because it's. To me, it's. When I was a kid. I'm having a sense of deja vu all over again. We have a criminal in the office. Right. We're. We're at war that nobody wants, and we're going back to the moon. I feel like it's 1969. And the only difference is this is a convicted criminal in the office.
- [25:28]
A
Not. Not an aspiring one, or assumed to be one.
- [25:31]
C
Yeah, he's.
- [25:33]
A
Yeah. But I mean. And just to go back to our earlier conversation, he's sounding more and more unhinged. I believe we have some sound. He was asked about NATO, and he again went off on Greenland. I don't know why he keeps talking about Greenland. It is bananas, batshit crazy. Apparently, one of the undercovered stories of the year is that the Danes were getting ready to blow up their runways, and they were getting.
- [25:57]
C
They were body bags and they were getting body.
- [26:00]
A
Yeah, they were getting blood ready. And. Because they thought they were gonna have to fight the United States if we have this Greenland bite. We should play it. Because I just said, but he's got,
- [26:09]
D
and you know, it all began with, if you want to know the truth, Greenland. We want Greenland. They don't want to give it to us. And I said, bye, bye. Thank you very much.
- [26:21]
A
Yeah, bye bye indeed.
- [26:23]
C
They didn't give me what I want, so I'm going to throw a fit.
- [26:26]
A
Yeah, I mean, but this is how he's dealing with NATO. And it's no wonder, Brian, you and I've covered this kind of stuff a long time. It's no wonder these other world leaders, these other heads of state are telling Trump, go fuck yourself. You know, go clean up your own dirty diaper. We're not doing this for you.
- [26:40]
C
Well, and what, you know, what really frightened me about what he said, or what concerns me most about what he said was he's saying that you give me what I want by tomorrow. He's first of all saying that they're, they're more. That you can deal with a new guy, that it's a regime change and it's not, but you can deal with these new guys better than the old guys. But I'm going to blow you up tomorrow if you don't give me what I want. Well, if they're much easier to deal with. And then he said, we won. Well, if we won, why are we there? But it's the blow them up in one day that concerns me. Not one reporter, not one in that room asked the obvious question. Does that include conventional or are you talking about nuclear weapons? Because when you say blow it all up in one day, pal, that opens up a wide range of arsenals, including nuclear. And I want to make sure that that SOB doesn't put his finger on the trigger because that's, yeah, that's where we really need to, to, to worry.
- [27:32]
A
I mean, I'm, I'm of the mindset that this is more of a taco than anything else. Yes, this is not a real threat. But Mike don't know with him.
- [27:40]
C
Right?
- [27:40]
A
You don't know with him. And, and maybe they'll say, oh, that's, that's what, that's the beauty of it. But to me, if he were to use nuclear weapons in any way, especially in a war of choice where Iran did not pose any kind of imminent threat, that is an immediate, instantaneous, 25th Amendment. I don't understand. I don't know. How could it could be other survive if we survive. Right. I mean, to me, that's why it is so. It's this is not like sitting on a bar stool. And, boy, isn't the president just, you know, Cracker Jack crazy? This is way more serious than that, because Trump has gotten this country into a quagmire. He can't get out. He can't get himself out of this.
- [28:19]
C
He can't even. All right, let's go over just the straight of Hormuz, Right? First he said he obliterated all the Iranian military in the Strait of Hormuz, was safe to travel, that we would escort oil tankers and offer insurance policies to oil companies to do it. Then they said it was closed, he could open it quickly. Then he begged our allies to help us open it up. Then he said the allies should open up themselves, that they should just take it, and we didn't need it because we were getting our oil elsewhere and, by the way, buy oil from us. And now he's saying it's a priority to open the straight of Hormuz. So what is it? And then he calls them artists. What the hell is what you've just been giving me? But it's. It's dangerous and, to your point, unhinged. And that's where we have to really, really understand that this guy is completely whacked.
- [29:10]
A
Yeah. And, I mean, listen, you know, when I say I think he'll taco out, you know, that's just me. I think that's a coping mechanism. I'll be real honest on my part. I. I just hope that that's the case.
- [29:21]
C
You and me both.
- [29:22]
A
He'll extend the time or whatever, but as one of our subscribers just noted just a few moments ago, he makes good on a lot of these threats.
- [29:30]
C
And, yes, he does.
- [29:31]
A
And when he. The way he talks about, you know, bombing our little hearts out, when he uses that kind of language, when he threatens civilian infrastructure, which is war crimes, by the way. Those are war crimes.
- [29:44]
C
Yes.
- [29:44]
A
You know, I. I don't understand why the conversation isn't already happening. There are Democrats in Congress saying it. I think members of the news media, major elite members of the news media should be saying this. Who cares that he said, you know, open up the straight, you crazy bastards. What really should be the discussion that should be happening right now, it seems to me, is whether he should be in the office any more, period. Do I want J.D. vance in there? Hell, no, of course not. But. Jesus Christ, the person that's in there right now is way too dangerous.
- [30:17]
C
I. I agree with you. And the frightening part about it is, you will talk. And I have, you know, I Still, as you have great sources inside Congress, many of them Republicans, and they're so damn brave privately, you know, Donald Trump is a menace. Donald Trump is horrible. Donald Trump is this. And then publicly they slurp his political buttocks. And that to me is just, it's, it's. When are they going to stand up?
- [30:45]
A
And I think Marjorie Taylor Greene is. She's coming out and saying it now that he's crazy. But she's a former member of Congress, so you got to think that she was thinking this stuff when she was in there and didn't say it.
- [30:56]
C
Yeah, she wasn't saying it and didn't say it, and now she's saying it. And I know that they're all afraid of being primaried from the farther right, but at some point in time, I would say to the gop, grow a set, grow up and realize how existential this threat is. And you will be seen as a hero. Massie in Kentucky is going to win reelection because he's doing just that. My sister lives in his district. She's a longtime Democrat. Most of the Democrats in there can't stand the Republicans. But, but they're going to vote for Massie because Massie stood up to Trump. There are votes there, folks, and money. He's gone way off the skids. This man is, you know, his, his taco has no meat in it anymore.
- [31:46]
A
It's a meatless taco.
- [31:47]
C
That's meatless taco, baby.
- [31:49]
A
Yeah, no, I know. And, and not very filling at that. But I mean, I, I do think that you, you are absolutely right about one thing. I mean, many things, of course, but the fact that we're not seeing the press meet this moment, they're individual members of the press. Some of them are doing a great job, no question about it. But I just think this is, I think, why you and I and folks in independent media are doing so well and we're thriving and people want to come and listen to what we have to say, and it's because they just are watching the coverage and it's so milquetoast and plain vanilla and tapioca pudding, and they just, they don't get it or they're too afraid to get it.
- [32:35]
B
What.
- [32:36]
A
Can you put your finger on it, Brian? What?
- [32:37]
C
Yeah. After 43 years of this, it's what the government wants. They have, it started with Reagan and every president since then. It's the consolidation of the media so that it's. Most of what we see, read or hear is owned by four or five corporations. There's no tax breaks for independent media. They should be giving you a tax break so you can hire staff. They should be, you know, low interest, low interest loans to, to independent media and small media companies. Limit the number of outlets that you can own large companies. I don't want to. Billionaires are not your friend. And we found that out when Jeff Bezos decided to crap all over the Washington Post. Got rid of the sports department. Most people buy the paper for sports.
- [33:23]
A
Yeah, he's a lousy newspaper man.
- [33:25]
C
In addition to everything else shooting himself in his own foot. And Donald Trump calls it a failure. Well, of course it's a failure. That's what they want. And he controls who's in the briefing room. He controls who asks him questions. So it is mostly milk toast. You just imagine if you and I, and let's see, Peter and some of the same crew that were there during the first Trump administration when we gave him unmitigated grief constantly, which is our job.
- [33:55]
A
I, maybe, maybe it's connected to the fact that he, he's losing his marbles. And he's not all.
- [33:59]
C
I think you're right.
- [34:00]
A
And if you're, and if you had the, the New York Yankees warming up in, in the dugout, you know, he just wouldn't be able to take it. No, he's gotta face the Bad News Bears.
- [34:12]
C
Yeah, that's. And boy, they're bad. I mean, anytime. And here's a hint for your audience and everybody out there. When a, when a reporter starts off a question by saying, you know, you've really done a great job, Mr. President, you're doing better. And the fake media, that's a hint that this is not happening today.
- [34:29]
A
Right. That, that did happen today.
- [34:31]
C
Yes. It happens every time they're in the briefing room. And then when you have reporters doing this staring at their, you know, that's telling you right now, I saw that two or three times in the room today where they're just staring at the questions that have been fed to them by their editors who are by the way, part of large companies which are associated with Donald Trump. So you don't get the independent. And here's the thing. Remember Joe Lockhart and, and Mike McCurry from years. They told me, and I'll never forget he said, brian, we would get, we would get as much information from you all asking us questions. Then we gave out because we would hear what the American people wanted to know information about. We adapted our policy because of it. This info, this administration is stone cold death to it. And then lockhart said, yeah, and every time I heard a, you know, a reporter following up on another reporter following up on another reporter, I knew I was on the crosshairs. And they would look for the guy who would ask questions about UFOs to, to deflect from, you know, oh, you want to, let's go to that guy. He wants to ask a Bigfoot question to deflect from it. We don't do that anymore. We don't triangulate, we don't follow up. We're too busy wanting our own viral moment without listening and answering the natural follow up questions, which, I mean, some of my best questions I ever got in that room were because I listened to other people ask questions.
- [35:59]
A
And that's listening to what he's saying and how he's responding or dodging a question. Yeah, why not, why not respond to the way he dodges a question and say, hey, wait a minute, you didn't answer Brian's question there. Let me go back to this. Why aren't you answering this?
- [36:13]
C
We'll go back to the day that. All right, so the day that you, they try to yank your press pass. I, I had asked. It was really weird with him. You'd ask a question and I would, he would always kind of rotate because I guess he liked the fight back then. I had asked him some question, but yeah, you came back and followed up on another question after the midterm elections and asking him and he got really pissed at you. And then they, they tried to alter some video to make it look like you were the one that were was. But it was right. He couldn't handle it. And that is, that's what you have to have. It's their job to be there and put their best foot forward. It's our job to be there and hold them accountable to the facts. Yeah, they don't do that anymore. You're absolutely right about that. That we just don't do it.
- [36:59]
A
And I mean, and I mean, just to wrap this up, my concern is we got a long ways to go. A long ways to go until the midterms. And Brian, I won't, I won't forget, you know, you were the one who asked the question before the 2020 election, will you commit to honoring the election results? Will you commit to a peaceful transfer of power? And he wouldn't do it then. Journalists need to start asking those kinds of questions between now and November because watch the way he responds to those questions. My theory is, is that he will, he will both attempt to meddle in the midterms, he will still get his ass kicked so hard that he will try to not honor the midterms and that he will try to talk Mike Johnson into not swearing in a new Congress, that they will try to throw a monkey wrench into that transfer of power. I think that is coming down the pike.
- [37:50]
C
Well, I remember what Mary Trump has told me on many occasions. There is no worst with Donald Trump. Every day is worse. So you are absolutely right. I think ice in the airports is a dry run for what they'll do at election facilities this fall. I believe that no matter what happens, Donald Trump will not concede because he still hasn't conceded in the 2020 election. And for the love of God, for those of you who still believe that somehow it was a faked election or that they, you know, the Democrats cheated, how is it that so many Republicans won?
- [38:25]
A
Right. Or that he won the last time?
- [38:29]
C
Yes. So how could. There was no cheating. Donald Trump got his ass. Ass handed to him. And, and Donald Trump only likes ass if someone's kissing his. So that's, that's true.
- [38:40]
A
So no question. I know. Well, that's what he, that's why he said the other day, he only likes to hang out with losers. I'm sure you saw that.
- [38:46]
C
People who. Yes. And he likes to hang out with losers and people who listen to him. It was so telling. You know, my question after that, Jim, was like, well, I wonder what that says about your Cabinet, because that's all he fealty. And you saw that today in the briefing. Every person that came up and spoke had to come up and, and bow to him first and say what a great guy he was, even if they didn't agree with him. And you saw when the general got up there, he made a minimal effort to do it and then warned everyone. He said we shouldn't be giving away tactical information, which Trump had already given away and, and which Pete Hegseth had already given away. And you want to go after the reporters for that? Yeah, it's going to get, it's gone.
- [39:36]
A
I mean, but he, but Trump, I got to go back to this again. He's talking about jailing a leaker. His own goddamn defense secretary was in the room with him and put that kind of information out on a signal chat. You know what I mean? He was, he was, he was one of the idiots to put it out on a signal.
- [39:51]
C
He didn't leak. He, he spewed.
- [39:54]
A
I mean, you know, and he's still got a job. Isn't his. Why Isn't his ass in jail, you
- [39:59]
C
know, because he's the, the tail end of the human centipede with his lips permanently attached to Donald Trump's bulbous political buttocks. And he, he takes whatever he spews out, swallows it and spits it on down the line. Yeah, it's, to me, it's frustrating beyond belief, but to your point, November is going to be a show. There's no other way to describe it. And we're going to have to, I, I tell everybody, not only are you going to have to vote, you need to volunteer, you need to get involved, you need to drive people to the, to the polls. And I can't tell you, Jim, how many people I've interviewed at these no Kings rallies. I ask them if they vote and they don't. We think 60 voter turnout is good in this country. We're going to need 75% this fall to make a difference.
- [40:45]
A
Yeah, the young people who showed up enforce the last two elections, they're going to have to do it even more so during a midterm cycle, which is not when they typically vote. And so, you know, that is going to be a, that's on the Democrats. If the Democrats know what they're doing, they, they will get the, the young vote machine going in this country or if there isn't one, build one quickly.
- [41:11]
C
Yeah, that's. But, you know, they, they say nobody can snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory better than a Democrats, so. Well, I hope not this fall. We've seen Constitution Matters.
- [41:23]
A
We've seen that movie before, and it is about the Constitution. It is about protecting democracy. It's, it's. You and I have talked about this. Not left or right anymore. It's authoritarianism versus democracy. We got to choose. Got to make a choice. Yeah.
- [41:37]
C
And it bothers me that there are young people who think, oh, yeah, we do need a dictator. Oh, yeah, we do need communism. No. And then they say that we've, that the Constitution has failed us. No, the Constitution didn't fail us. We failed it because we've refused to follow it. This government is built on three equal branches of government. Donald Trump is not the king, nor could he ever be a king. And so we have to hold every. If this is. I mean, the, the judiciary has stood up to him pretty much. I mean, and he shows up. Yeah, well, yeah, but he did show up at the Supreme Court trying to intimidate him, and they all gave him grief. And then he, he ran.
- [42:17]
A
So that's true.
- [42:18]
C
And then, then he disparaged them afterwards. You gotta love that. But the Congress needs to stand up.
- [42:25]
A
That clearly got under her skin. No question.
- [42:28]
C
One of my favorite days in the Trump administration. I'm gonna make history and show up at the Supreme Court. I'm out of here.
- [42:34]
A
Yeah, exactly. All that was, all that was missing was, like, the credits from Veep at the end of it as he drove away.
- [42:41]
C
The Benny Hill theme song.
- [42:43]
A
Well, that too. Oh, Brian, good to see you, man. Hey, thanks a lot.
- [42:47]
B
Great.
- [42:47]
A
Catch it up. And always fun trading those old war stories. Good to see you, man.
- [42:54]
C
Yeah, I feel like a little war horse, I'm telling you. A tough room
- [42:59]
A
and a good Roddy reference, too. All right. Good to see you, Brian. Take care, man. Yeah, take care, brother. No, and, and, and just to go back to what, you know, Brian and I were talking about, the. The least obvious sign that Donald Trump is losing his marbles is the. The true social post he put out over the weekend when he said, you know, open up the straight, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell. Praise be to Allah. I mean, that's the least. One of the least batshit crazy things that Donald Trump has done recently. I. I think this one might take the cake. I'm not sure. Let's play the Easter Egg Roll this morning where Donald Trump was going off on Joe Biden's auto pen with a group of children. Yes, this video does exist. We should play it and talk about it. If we have it. Here it is.
- [43:57]
D
Would use the autopen. You have an autopen following Joe Biden. He didn't suck. He was incapable of signing his name. So they'd follow him around with this big machine, you know what it was called?
- [44:08]
B
An autopen.
- [44:10]
D
And he'd have the auto pen signed for him. He'd take the paper, hand it to his guys, they'd sign it with an auto pen, give it back. Not too big, right? Better to sign.
- [44:24]
A
Yes, it's that old Easter classic, that classic Easter story that we all tell our children. Joe Biden in the auto pen. That, to me, right there, folks, is probably some of the clearest evidence that Donald Trump, he just is not there anymore. You know, these are the kinds of things that he says in front of his rallies. And because he's at such a loss for words with a group of children that he has to talk about Biden in the autopen. I think that demonstrates right there that this is somebody who is in need of serious medical help. And that's why I will add my name to the list. Of anybody else out there who's, who's making a similar comment to me. Donald Trump is the poster child for the 25th amendment. He is the reason why we have the 25th amendment in this country. And every day that we waste without invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office is a day where we're just putting ourselves in terrible jeopardy. The President of the United States is dangerously sick. That is my opinion. I think he is, he is not well. His former White House attorney, Ty Cobb was with me the other day. We had a conversation about this and Ty pointed. And this was before the, the straight of Hormuz truth social post he put out over the weekend. This is before that. Ty Cobb was saying that these late night truth social posts are evidence that Donald Trump is gone mentally and that he is not up to the job of President of the United States anymore. And it seems, you know, it seems to me that that's where we are. And then we had this truth social post over the weekend that demonstrated yet again that the President is not well, that he's not firing on all, all cylinders. He's a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic. He's not playing with a full deck and all of the other things. And so it seems to me right now the question has to be asked, what are we going to do as a country about this? And that is not in our hands, ladies and gentlemen. The 25th amendment allows for the Cabinet to remove the President of the United States. And this cabinet, obviously right now is, is such a group of, of sycophants and, and how did Donald Trump put it recently? Losers that they're not going to dare to invoke the 25th Amendment right now. But mark this day down, Monday, April 6, the day after Easter, the day after Donald Trump talked to a bunch of kids about Biden and the auto penny. Mark this day down as probably it would have been a better time than not to start the 25th Amendment proceedings. Every day that goes by with Donald Trump in the Oval Office, with Donald Trump and the job of Commander in Chief is a day that becomes more dangerous for the United States and the rest of the world. There's just no question about it. Look at what, look at how Trump was behaving in the briefing room today. Threatening to jail reporters, talking about Greenland again. I mean, I'm surprised he didn't bring up sharks and Hannibal Lecter. But that's where we are right now as a country, ladies and gentlemen, we have a President of the United States who is not well. And he is the reason why the 25th Amendment exists, it seems to me, and the Constitution is there to be used. It is not there to be hung on the wall and stared at with some measure of patriotic awe. It is there to be. It is there as a document. It is an instruction manual for our democracy. And if you were to pull out the instruction manual for your car out of the glove compartment because you got something wrong with your car, it's the same thing with the constitution and the 25th amendment. That part of the instruction manual is there in case we have a president of the United States who is out of control and incapable of being the president. It is there for a reason, and it's time that it's put to use. My thanks to Congressman Ro Khanna today. My thanks to Brian Caram. Great. Trading some old stories with him. It sounds like Ro Khanna is interested in running for president. I think that's what I got from listening to that interview. He probably didn't want to go there because of all the legal stuff that comes with launching the, you know, quest for the presidency and so on. But that was a very interesting discussion as well. And I don't say it often enough. I'm going to say it here. Thank you for supporting this program. Please, if you can support independent media, support this program. It helps us bring these kinds of stories, these kinds of interviews. Be sure to, like, subscribe, share it all matters. We're seeing some terrific numbers over the last week with some of the great guests that we've had. And I really enjoyed the the Ask me enemy, ask me any ask me anything segment that I did last Friday with some of you. When I was taking the day when I was taking the day off from the show and taking the guys to the ballpark, I didn't ask me anything. And that was a lot of fun with the viewers out there. I'll do another one of those again real soon. But in the meantime, still reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. I'll see you next time.