The Jim Acosta Show - Tuesday Feb. 11 w/ Michael Cohen and Olivia Troye

Summary

The Jim Acosta Show - Tuesday Feb. 11 with Michael Cohen and Olivia Troye: Comprehensive Summary

Date of Release: February 11, 2025
Host: Jim Acosta
Guests: Michael Cohen (Trump’s former fixer and critic), Olivia Troye (Former National Security Advisor to Mike Pence)

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I. Introduction & Overview of the Current Constitutional Crisis (00:18 - 02:57)

Jim Acosta opens the episode by addressing the escalating tensions within American governance. He asserts that the Trump administration is steering the country towards a constitutional crisis, emphasizing that "America is still under siege" (00:18). The focus swiftly shifts to the Trump administration's contentious interactions with the judiciary and federal agencies.

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II. Trump's Defiance of Court Orders & FEMA Funding Freeze (02:57 - 08:09)

Michael Cohen elaborates on President Trump's strategy to "push the boundaries of our Constitution to its limits" (02:57). He discusses the administration's recent actions, such as defying federal court orders by directing FEMA officials to "freeze funding for a wide array of grant programs" despite judicial injunctions (00:18). This defiance exemplifies Trump's broader tactic of challenging judicial authority, which Cohen believes is orchestrated to test the resilience of constitutional safeguards.

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III. Elon Musk's Influence and Attacks on the Judiciary (08:09 - 11:09)

The conversation shifts to Elon Musk's recent statements undermining the judiciary. Musk is quoted as saying, "democracy in America is being destroyed by judicial coup. An activist judge is not a real judge" (00:18). Cohen interprets Musk's comments as indicative of the administration's contempt for the judicial system, suggesting that influential figures like Musk are being leveraged to delegitimize judges impeding Trump's agenda.

Cohen adds, "Trump is fulfilling all of his promises... he's fulfilling exactly what he said he was going to do during the campaign" (04:01), underscoring the realization of Trump's aggressive policies and their backlash among his supporters.

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IV. Michael Cohen's Analysis of Trump’s Strategies (02:57 - 11:09)

Cohen provides a critical analysis of Trump's approach, highlighting his "922 page manifesto, Project 2025," aimed at "destroying America's democracy." He contends that Trump's unwavering commitment to his agenda causes disillusionment among his base, with individuals like "Venezuelans in Florida" and "auto industry workers" regretting their support as Trump's policies adversely affect them (04:01).

Cohen emphasizes that Trump’s actions are not impulsive but are "calculated" steps to "bend the Constitution" in his favor, effectively diminishing the checks and balances that prevent executive overreach.

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V. Rule of Law and the American Bar Association's Statement (08:09 - 09:13)

Jim Acosta references a statement from the American Bar Association (ABA), which reaffirms the expectation that "our government [should] follow the rule of law, protect due process, and treat individuals in a way that we would treat others in our homes and workplaces" (08:09). However, Cohen criticizes the ABA as "toothless," arguing that it lacks the enforcement power to hold administrations accountable for constitutional violations (09:13).

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VI. Pardon Power and Constitutional Limits (09:59 - 13:07)

Cohen discusses Trump's use of presidential pardon power, noting its "unlimited, unchecked power." He cites the pardoning of individuals involved in the January 6th events and stresses that this behavior signals an attempt to "rewrite the Constitution," aiming to centralize power within the executive branch (11:09). Acosta echoes these concerns, labeling Trump "the Lord of the Lies" and warning of the potential for authoritarian rule (08:09).

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VII. Appointments in the Trump Administration: Cash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard (22:18 - 35:26)

A. Cash Patel and FBI Purges (22:18 - 24:12)

Jim Acosta brings up recent developments involving Cash Patel, Trump's pick to lead the FBI. Senator Dick Durbin has requested an investigation into Patel's alleged involvement in purging FBI agents linked to the January 6th investigations (22:18). Olivia Troye expresses concern over the potential for abuse of power, questioning Patel's integrity and the implications for the FBI's future under his leadership (23:14).

B. Tulsi Gabbard's Appointment and Intelligence Community Concerns (26:20 - 35:26)

The discussion shifts to Tulsi Gabbard's impending confirmation as the head of the United States Intelligence Community. Olivia Troye criticizes the appointment, highlighting Gabbard's alignment with adversarial groups and questioning her suitability for such a critical role (26:20). Acosta expresses worry about the impact on intelligence sharing with allies, suggesting that Gabbard's leadership could erode trust and undermine national security (28:48).

Troye further elaborates on the potential consequences, fearing that such appointments may lead to diminished cooperation with international intelligence agencies and compromise homeland security (28:12).

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VIII. Olivia Troye’s Insights on Internal Government Responses (18:49 - 35:26)

Olivia Troye shares her experiences and observations from within the government, particularly focusing on Trump's disregard for the rule of law. She recounts participating in war games that simulated Trump's return to power, emphasizing that "there is no rule of law" among Trump's inner circle (19:18). Troye warns of the administration's intent to "undermine the government" and erode trust in federal institutions (25:55).

She also criticizes current Republican leaders, such as Chuck Grassley, for failing to uphold due diligence and the rule of law, hinting at internal corruption and the prioritization of Trump's agenda over constitutional responsibilities (22:18).

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IX. Concerns about Intelligence Community and Appointments (26:20 - 35:26)

Troye voices substantial concern over the appointments of Tulsi Gabbard and Sebastian Gorka to prominent national security positions. She argues that these individuals "have no business running these very serious agencies" and questions their loyalty and effectiveness (27:11). Troye fears that such leadership will damage intelligence-sharing relationships with allies, jeopardizing both national and international security (28:48).

Additionally, the appointment of young and inexperienced advisors, such as a 19-year-old surrogate known as "Big Balls," raises alarms about the decision-making processes within the State Department and Department of Homeland Security (32:52).

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X. Conclusion: The Future and Impact on American Democracy (35:28 - 42:20)

As the episode concludes, Jim Acosta reflects on the dire state of American democracy, underscored by Trump's apparent aspirations toward authoritarianism. He humorously yet poignantly highlights the absurdity of Google's erroneous renaming of the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America," symbolizing the disinformation and manipulation pervasive under Trump's influence (35:28).

Acosta emphasizes the importance of resisting the erosion of truth and upholding democratic principles, urging listeners to remain vigilant against the "bending the knee" mentality that capitulates to lies and fear (42:00). The episode wraps up with light-hearted remarks about the show's set, retaining a balance between serious discourse and relatable moments.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jim Acosta [00:18]: "America is still under siege. The Trump administration is still driving the country toward a constitutional crisis. Trump is playing chicken with the courts."

• Elon Musk's Statement [Approximately 02:57]: "Democracy in America is being destroyed by judicial coup. An activist judge is not a real judge."

• Michael Cohen [04:01]: "Trump is fulfilling all of his promises... he's fulfilling exactly what he said he was going to do during the campaign."

• Jim Acosta [08:09]: "I've called him the Lord of the Lies."

• Michael Cohen [11:09]: "He wants unlimited power on all fronts. He said that he wants to rewrite the Constitution."

• Olivia Troye [19:18]: "There is no rule of law... they're going to do things to undermine it along the way."

• Olivia Troye [25:55]: "This is all part of the deep state narrative that they continue to push."

• Jim Acosta [35:28]: "I call upon you to change it back to the Gulf of Mexico."

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Key Takeaways

1. Constitutional Crisis: The Trump administration is actively challenging judicial authority and federal agencies, pushing the boundaries of constitutional limits.

2. Elon Musk's Role: Influential figures like Elon Musk are undermining the judiciary, aligning with the administration's efforts to delegitimize checks and balances.

3. Impact of Trump's Policies: Aggressive policies and unfulfilled promises are leading to disillusionment among Trump’s supporters, who are beginning to question their allegiance.

4. Rule of Law Under Threat: Institutions like the ABA are deemed ineffective in countering executive overreach, raising concerns about the erosion of legal safeguards.

5. Questionable Appointments: Recent appointments, including Cash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, are scrutinized for their potential to further destabilize federal agencies and intelligence operations.

6. Internal Government Struggles: Olivia Troye highlights internal resistance and the precarious state of federal institutions battling Trump's influence.

7. Disinformation and Public Perception: The episode underscores the role of misinformation, exemplified by erroneous geographical names, in shaping public perception and complicating the national discourse.

8. Call to Action: Acosta urges listeners to remain steadfast in upholding democratic principles and resisting the normalization of authoritarian tactics.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the critical discussions and insights from "The Jim Acosta Show" episode featuring Michael Cohen and Olivia Troye. It highlights the ongoing challenges to American democracy, the strategies employed by the Trump administration, and the implications for federal institutions and national security.

Transcript

[Jim Acosta]

All right. Welcome everybody, to the Jim Acosta Show. It is Tuesday, February 11th. We aren't even to Hump Day. We're not even to what I like to call Friday Eve. It's just a Tuesday. So let's just get right into it. Let's effing go. America still under siege. The Trump administration is still driving the country toward a constitutional crisis. Trump is playing chicken with the courts, as you can see on the screen there. With me, Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer who has gone on to be a very prominent Trump critic in this country, bestselling author, host of the Mea Culpa podcast, and also here on Substack as the real Michael Cohen. Michael's going to talk to all of us in just a second here. I do want to run through a couple of quick headlines about what is taking place today while I was talking about Trump playing chicken with the courts. The latest example, NBC News reporting the Trump administration defying orders when it comes to fema. A senior official, this is according to NBC, a senior official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency instructed subordinates to freeze funding for a wide awareness wide array of grant programs Monday, just hours after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration for the second time to stop such pauses. Again, this is NBC reporting in an email with the subject line urgent, hold on, awards. Stacy street, the director of the agency's Office of Grant Administration, again, this is according to NBC, told her team to freeze the funding for grant programs going back several years. Now, of course, this is in defiance of what a federal judge has instructed the Trump administration to do. And here's a good window into the thinking behind Elon Musk, who is telegraphing the administration's thinking on daring the judges who are blocking several of these executive actions and throwing up roadblocks in front of Musk's Doge team and throwing up roadblocks, quite frankly, in front of Donald Trump. Musk tweeted this quote, democracy in America is being destroyed by judicial coup. An activist judge is not a real judge. So there you go, Elon Musk, he's just into the administration, what, a couple of weeks? And he's disparaging our judicial system. He's disparaging judges, saying that, you know, if you get in the way of what the Trump administration is doing, you're an activist judge. You're not a real judge. You're part of some judicial coup. You can see all the hearts flying in right now. They're flying into Michael's face. Michael's sending the heart right back let's discuss with Michael Cohen. As I said, he's the author of the Mea Culpa podcast and a bestselling author of Revenge. Michael is now on substack as the real Michael Cohen. Michael, you know the mind of Donald Trump, and I hate to say this, I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Might be both better than anyone. What do you think's going on here? What is he up to?

[Michael Cohen]

Well, what he's up to right now is figuring out how to push the boundaries of our Constitution to its limits to see how far that he can get, before which there is pushback. Now, that's why you have people like Elon Musk, people like J.D. vance and others turning around and questioning, for example, the authority of the judiciary. You know, to those individuals who actually voted for Donald Trump and are now sort of second guessing why they did what they did. For example, there's this slew of, as an example, Venezuelans in Florida that are now kicking themselves in their ass and saying, what did I do? I've been warning the American people now for three years. You've been a part of my journey as well. And for that I'm obviously eternally grateful. Jim.

[Jim Acosta]

Likewise.

[Michael Cohen]

You know, your friendship to me means a lot.

[Jim Acosta]

And right back at you.

[Michael Cohen]

These, thank you. These Venezuelans are now saying, whoa, whoa, I didn't think you were coming after me. Well, I told you that he doesn't care about anyone or anything other than himself and his agenda. And shame on them because Trump told each and every one of us what they, what they should be expecting. He is following that 922 page manifesto entitled Project 2025 how to Destroy America's democracy. He's following it to a T. And now all of a sudden, people are throwing up their hands and say, whoa, why is this happening? Well, it's happening because he told you what he's going to do. And he, by the way, Trump is fulfilling all of his promises. He's fulfilling exactly what he said he was going to do during, during the campaign and even before that.

[Jim Acosta]

And Michael, on top of that, you can combine Project 2025 with I Am your retribution. He told people out on the campaign trail time and again that this is a campaign of revenge and retribution. And if I get back into the White House, I am going to get revenge. And that's what he's doing.

[Michael Cohen]

And yet people are still, again, shaking their head. It's almost like that. I wish I had a V8 commercial. Right? Oh, oh, Holy shit. You know, why is he doing this? Okay, it's not just the Venezuelans. It's not just birthright citizens. What about the folks now in the auto industry, in the unions that are now going to see loss of their jobs or overtime money as a direct result of his determination to impose tariffs on Canada, specifically in the areas of steel and aluminum. Right, specifically. By the way, he did the same thing in 2017, ultimately pulled it back then because it's a disaster and it will be a disaster again. But Jim, the same folks that voted for him, part of the union, are now saying, what did I do? But there's more. This is like a bad infomercial. But wait, there's more. What about the Muslim Americans that turned around and was so fast to give Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, the two fingers salute? What happened there all of a sudden? Now what are they saying? Like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Trump wants to own Gaza. He wants to kick out all of the Gazans. He wants to relocate everybody, Palestinians, Gazans, to whether it's Jordan or Egypt. And now they're saying, wait, wait, why did we vote for him?

[Jim Acosta]

Well, and just today, I mean, this is in the news today. I was going to pass along this headline. President Trump, while hosting the King of Jordan at the White House today, continued to talk about his plan to take over Gaza. He said, quote, we're going to take it, we're going to hold it, we're going to cherish it. He said this in the Oval Office. You know, did any, I mean, did anybody vote for this? I mean, there were folks who voted against Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. There's no question about it, because they were frustrated with what was going on in Gaza. They're absolutely well within the rights to do that. But did they think Donald Trump was going to be more humanitarian than Kamala Harris?

[Michael Cohen]

You know, it's funny because, Jim, you and I have had this conversation, right? Many, many times, and I said to you, it's all an act, right? He will say whatever he needs to say in order to achieve his goal. And by the way, that is, that is a level of branding, sophistication and intelligence far greater than what the media wants to give Donald Trump on. He has the ability to bullshit people, get them to buy into it, benefit from it, and then leave you hanging in the dark.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, no, I mean, I've called him the Lord of the Lies. And there's just, there's no other way to describe it in my book. I mean, he just is a busted Fire hydrant of lies. And he's just going to continue to do that. But I do want to get back to what we were talking about at the start of all this, Michael, and that I do think the country is under siege right now. I do think we're in the midst of a constitutional crisis. The American Bar association, which doesn't throw around statements like this, very often put out a very strong, strongly worded statement. And it's just words. You know, Michael, feel free to weigh in, but the administration cannot choose which law it will follow or ignore. One of the highlights from this statement from the American Bar association, there is much that Americans disagree on, but all of us expect our government to follow the rule of law, protect due process, and treat individuals in a way that we would treat others in our homes and workplaces. The ABA does not oppose any administration. We remain steadfast in our support for the rule of law. I mean, I do think they might be overstating things a little bit and say that we expect our government. We all agree that we expect our government to follow the rule of law. It sounds like Trump does not believe.

[Michael Cohen]

That the law does not apply. With all due respect to the aba, first and foremost, where were they when I was unconstitutionally remanded? Where were they when Bill Barr had me unconstitutionally remanded and thrown back into solitary confinement because I refused to waive my First Amendment constitutional right? The problem with the ABA is that they're toothless. They have absolutely no power. It's all bark and no bite. It's no different than like, the fec, the Federal Election Commission. They have no ability to do anything. It's not like they're an agency that has imprisonment power or punishment power.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. No, and I do want to ask you. I mean, the horse is out of the barn. I mean, with respect to Trump and the way he's treating the rule of law. And I wonder what you think, Michael, given what you just said. The fact that the feds are saying we're not gonna pursue charges anymore against Mayor Eric Adams of New York or Trump pardoning Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate.

[Michael Cohen]

Seat, why didn't he do? Why wasn't he smart enough to do that when it came to me? Right. Why not turn around and instead of throwing me under the bus, he should have done the same thing? The problem, and what Trump has been very calculated about is figuring out how to bend the Constitution to accomplish things that he wants accomplished. For example, stay number one, 1600. January 6th defendants, as he calls them. We call them insurrectionists. We call them criminals. He calls them defendants, hostages and prisoners. Yeah, White. He has the.

[Jim Acosta]

He had the audacity to say the other day that they were the ones who were assaulted on January 6th and not the other way around. Just an outright lie. Just a horrendous lie.

[Michael Cohen]

Anyway, I interrupted what he should have done early on. He has the power of the pardon. That is an unlimited, unchecked power that the President controls. So when he gave the 1600 defendants pardons, he has every right to do it. What he's trying to do is to create every single aspect of government the same way that he has that unlimited pardon power. He wants unlimited power on all fronts. He said it himself, Jim. He said that he wants to rewrite the Constitution. Michael Cohen didn't say that. I may have repeated it using Trump's words. Jim Acosta didn't make up those words. You just repeated what Trump was saying all along. He wants to destroy our tripartite system of government. I've said it on so many shows, I've said it to reporters, I've said it on my own podcast or everywhere that I could. He wants to strip the legislative branch and the judiciary of their co. Equal powers under the Constitution and confer all power to the executive branch, namely himself. What does that make him? The king, the dictator, the monarch, the supreme leader, the ruler.

[Jim Acosta]

He wants to be an American Caesar, Is that it?

[Michael Cohen]

Well, think about what he's doing now, too. What did Caesar do? What do all rulers, kings do? They. They're expansionists. What is Trump doing? He wants to annex Mexico. He wants to annex Canada. He wants to take over Greenland. He wants to recapture the Panama Canal. And now, now he wants to own the Gaza Strip. That's expansionist, in my opinion.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. And who the hell is going to. I mean, who's going to follow these orders? And I mean, we're going to go and take the Panama Canal. We're going to go take Greenland. Yes. American soldiers in Gaza. You're going to.

[Michael Cohen]

Yes, yes.

[Jim Acosta]

He said the other day, well, maybe we won't use American soldiers. Well, then who the hell is going to go in there and do this?

[Michael Cohen]

Yes, he will.

[Jim Acosta]

Boy Scouts.

[Michael Cohen]

I was a Boy Scout for three days. He will do it. When Donald Trump tells you what he intends to do, people have to stop sane washing and stop whitewashing these comments. And understand, he has already demonstrated to you. He's already demonstrated to the American people and to the world when he says he intends to do something. Why are you questioning it? He is going to do it. He is the bully in the park. And when he says he's going to punch you in the nose, expect to be punched in the nose. So do you think that he's going to have the generals turn around and tell the military to get onto one of their ships? Right. Or start getting ready. We intend to use our base in Jordan or in Qatar or in Saudi Arabia as just like local places to park our F16s and so on, 100%. And then slowly but surely, they will start sending more and more military into Israel and they will start building encampments around the demilitarized zone, and they will ultimately take it.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. Sometimes I think, you know, and you may agree with this or feel free to disagree with it, he doesn't have a plan. It's like open mic night in the Oval Office. He's just, just. This stuff's just flying out of his mouth faster than it's really being processed by his brain. And I don't even know if he even fully understands what he's talking about. Well, how are we going to take over Gaza?

[Michael Cohen]

Yeah.

[Jim Acosta]

How?

[Michael Cohen]

Well, you're conflating two different usaid.

[Jim Acosta]

So you can't send USAID in there.

[Michael Cohen]

I mean, you know, you, Jim, you're conflating two different things because two things can occur at the same time and still be dysfunctional. I do believe that he has thought about taking Canada, making it our 51st state a lot. I do believe he's been thinking for a long time about the annexation of Mexico, now Panama, now Greenland. That's a long time coming. And on top of that, now Gaza. Question is, what you've also said, has he a policy? Do they have anything in writing other than this very grandiose, broad idea? No, no. But that's where open mic comes in. What? He turns around and he knows that we are the big. We are the big swinging guy right in the park. All right? And he knows you start moving America's might, America's military.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah.

[Michael Cohen]

Who's stopping us? With all due respect, it ain't Russia and it ain't China. And it's certainly not. It's certainly not Saudi Arabia. It's not Egypt, it's not Iran. Nobody stopped stopping us.

[Jim Acosta]

Well, it's a little bit of a reverse Teddy Roosevelt. He's certainly not speaking softly and carrying a big stick. It's. It's, if you don't mind me saying, kind of the other way around. And, and, yeah, I'll leave it at that. But Michael, great to talk to you as always. You and I could go on all I know you have another commitment coming up soon. I'm going to bring in Olivia Troy in just a second. Michael, great to talk to you as well, Olivia.

[Michael Cohen]

I stay hiding. She owes me a phone call.

[Jim Acosta]

I will. I appreciate it. Good to see you, Michael.

[Michael Cohen]

Be well, Jim. Thank you, everyone.

[Jim Acosta]

Well, thank you. And we do see all of your comments coming in right now at the bottom of the screen and they're always appreciated. And it's so nice to see all of the love for Michael. I was at the DNC covering the DNC over the summer, was going around the venue there in Chicago with Michael Cohen, and I thought I was with Frank Sinatra or something. I mean, everybody was just coming up to Michael Cohen and wanting to talk to Michael Cohen. I'm going to try to bring in Olivia Troy. So stand by. That is our next mission here. The great Olivia Troy. She is always wonderful to talk to. And so as we're getting ready to do that, I do want to talk to Olivia Troy because I think she's going to, as somebody who worked in the first Trump administration, she was the national security advisor to Mike Pence. She's going to be able to relay what it must be like inside these federal agencies right now, you know, just dealing with, you know, Doge running rampant through all of these federal agencies. Couple of things to get you caught up to speed on as it relates to Elon Musk. And I want to talk about this with Olivia Troy, too, while she's getting dialed in here. The New York Times reporting Elon Musk plans to file a financial disclosure report to the White House, but it will remain confidential, a White House official said Tuesday. This is according to the New York Times. There has never been a White House staffer with the vast potential for conflicts like Mr. Musk, the world's richest person and the head of leading companies in electric vehicles, space exploration and artificial intelligence. But the New York times saying this, Mr. Musk is serving President Trump as an unpaid government special government employee, which means his financial disclosure is not required to be made public. And there is Olivia Troy, my friend. Great to see you at the bottom of the screen there. All the hearts coming in your direction, they're not coming towards me, they're coming towards you, Olivia.

[Olivia Troy]

Mutual love.

[Jim Acosta]

And it's great to see you on Substack, which is a really cool social media platform that we're all getting on. Michael Cohen's on it as well. And Olivia, I know you're on it as well. What has been. Because I wanted to ask you about so many different things, but the way Trump is playing chicken with the courts in this constitutional crisis that we find ourselves in the grips of right at the start of this new administration. What are your thoughts on all of this?

[Olivia Troy]

I think I've been talking to some circles, and I participated in some war games last summer about what would happen in Trump's return. And the one thing that I kept reminding people of is you need to play the game. There is no rule of law. Like, there is no actual rules that apply to these people that the law, they don't care about that, and they're going to do things to undermine it along the way. And I think we're seeing that play out, unfortunately, right now. And I think to Trump, I think he's probably getting angrier. I can totally see a scenario, knowing Trump, where he's seen the pushback and the lawsuits being filed, and rightly so. And I'm so grateful for all the groups that are standing together and taking a stand, whether it's for federal workers or USAID and other things. That is important. And right now, we are still a nation of laws as we saw it. Right. And so I think that's important to do that process. But I think that's also feeding into this, Jim, because I also think that he's watching this and he's getting mad because he's like, well, wait a second. I control everything. What do you mean? These judges? What do you mean? It's on pause. I can totally see that being the reaction right now for him.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, he always had this mindset during the first of Trump, Trump administration. I was covering. You were working in it. That. Wait a minute. You mean somebody can stop me? Somebody can stand in my way? There are checks and balances here. It's like, you know, this is a guy who went to Penn. He's had. He's had all these businesses. He doesn't understand how the Constitution works. Of course he does. He just wants to. He wants to be a dictator. He wants to be an authoritarian. He wants to be an autocrat. And, Olivier, I'm just wondering what you think, are the courts going to be able to hold here? Where are those guardrails going to hold?

[Olivia Troy]

Well, I'd like to say. So, I'd like to say yes. And we're seeing that, and I do believe in the judges in the court system that we're seeing here and due process in the law and how they're viewing this and so I think you're seeing judges navigate it to the best of their ability. But I guess where it does get a little bit, where I get anxious on this, Jim, is, yeah, does that matter to Donald Trump? And does it matter to this circle of enablers? Does it matter to the members of Congress on the Republican side when they watch this? Do they care about the balances and checks and checks of power? And that's where I think we're really heading there. I don't know, because I'm watching. I just watched Chuck Grassley respond to Senator Durbin's letter about Cash Patel, saying they have credible allegations about him being involved in these FBI hirings. When he. I attended that hearing, I watched him. And so he perjured himself, and he said he had nothing to do with that, wasn't going to engage in this retribution, and yet he was apparently coordinating this behind the scenes. And so where is Chuck Grassley, right? Where is he as a head of the Judiciary Committee, doesn't he have a responsibility to do due diligence, to do what's right for the rule of law, to do what's right for the FBI? And that, I think, is, again, another alarm.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. And just to get everybody up to speed on what Olivia's talking about, the AP reporting this afternoon, a top Democratic senator has asked the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate after he says he received information that Trump's pick to lead the FBI, Cash Patel, had been personally directing the ongoing purge of agents at the bureau. The letter Tuesday from Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, asserts that Patel may have misled the panel at his confirmation hearing last month when he said in response to a question that he was not aware of any plans inside the FBI to punish or fire agents. It seems like that that is actually taking place. But, I mean, we are sort of in an age of enabling inside the Republican Party right now, Olivia. And it seems as though people like Tulsi Gabbard are going to get through, and Cash Patel may get through. I don't know if this is something that will convince enough Republicans to say, you know what? No on Cash Patel. I just. I don't know if I see that happening right now.

[Olivia Troy]

I want to believe that there will be some of those. And I guess my reminder to them would be, hey, just so you know, when you step out of line or you do something that doesn't go along with what Trump wants and what Cash Patel thinks he should be doing for his boss, there will be a time when he turns that wrath towards you. And you should remember that you won't be invincible in this. You may think that you're a U.S. senator, you're a Republican member of Congress, but at some point, what are you going to do when some unlawful, frivolous investigation comes your way? Then what? But it's too late when he's in the role, right? And so I think that's what we got to keep reminding people, that this is a very serious position that Cash Patel is up again for. And I think we're seeing it. We're seeing some of the courage and integrity from FBI leaders and people at the DOJ who are standing strong and are concerned about. About what's happening to the workforce there. But what's to come under his leadership is incredibly dangerous for. For all of us, really.

[Jim Acosta]

And what I see as being dangerous about all of this is this. This idea that there are people inside the Justice Department who want to go after the FBI agents simply because they worked on the January 6th case or simply because they worked on the investigations into Donald Trump in many of these cases. These are. These are obviously FBI agents who are just doing their jobs. And are we going to go to a place where the rule of law only applies when you want to go after your political enemies? And to me, that is a frightening prospect. And Trump and his acolytes will say, well, that's what happened to me. That's what happened to us. It's like, oh, no, no. You instigated a riot and insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th. You tried to overturn election results. You tried to take classified. You did take classified documents down to Mar A Lago. In any other normal universe, place dimension, those things would be investigated by hardworking, dedicated public servants over at the FBI and in our federal law enforcement system. And just. That's just how it's gonna work. But what they wanna do is turn all of that on its head and say, no, we wanna direct all of those people to just go after the folks who came after us.

[Olivia Troy]

And it's all. Yeah, no. And it's all about undermining the government. Right? This is all part of the deep state narrative that they continue to push. And they will continue to do this across the board. Whatever agency that they're looking at, it is part of them undermining the trust in our government, in our institutions. And that is, I think, the more concerning sort of thread through all of this, Right, Jim, is that this is the link to everything, that every action they are taking is in line with that thinking behind the scenes of it.

[Jim Acosta]

And one of my rules of thumb when I was covering the first Trump administration is that if you're complaining about the, if you're complaining about the deep state, you must be in deep shit. There must be something going on where you are in deep shit. And that was just always my pat response to when Steve Bannon and the others would talk about the deep state. It's probably because they're in some kind of deep shit.

[Olivia Troy]

But anyway, what are you projecting and what are you doing exactly?

[Jim Acosta]

It's not just Trump who does the projection, it's all of the people who work under him, or many of them, I should say. And I guess your thoughts on Tulsi Gabbard, I mean, it looks like she's going to clear this. She's cleared the hurdle at the committee level. It looks like she's going to be confirmed perhaps overnight and be in charge of the United States intelligence community. That, to me is an astounding prospect. And again, Olivia, when you were there for the first Trump administration, there were people like John Kelly, there were people like Mike Pence. They were people who were Republicans, yes, but good law abiding Republicans who believed in the rule of law. This time around, it looks like just hacks and cronies and like minded, bad faith actors in many respects.

[Olivia Troy]

Yeah. And when I look at this overall picture of Tulsi Gabbard at the helm of the DNI and thinking about the combination of personalities like Sebastian Gorka now sitting at the National Security Council, leading the counterterrorism director with a personality with than himself. We've got Joe Kent right down at the National Counterterrorism Center. I spent several years working for the director of nctc. It breaks my heart, like it hurts me to see these types of personalities that have no business running these very serious agencies at the helm. And so now we have her, we have Tulsi Gabbard who has aligned herself with our enemies and she will be at the very top of this. And my only hope is that, I hope that, that we are able to overcome this in resilience in terms of the intelligence community. Because my biggest concern is our allies, right? Why are they going to trust us? Why would they share intelligence with us? And that only hurts us here for our own homeland security or national security posture, because that's what's going to hurt is Americans.

[Jim Acosta]

Right. And a lot of our allies are already concerned about Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin. When you're talking about intelligence sharing between intelligence agencies, country to country. If Tulsi Gabbard is at the top of that, of that institution here in this country, I would have to think that if you're the head of, you know, this country's. I'm not going to name a country by name, but one of our allies, intelligence operations, that you're going to be. You're going to be thinking twice about whether you share information with the United States of America. That doesn't sound good.

[Olivia Troy]

No. And I'm thinking about, think about the intelligence officers on the ground like I think about my colleagues, and I think about being deployed overseas and thinking about what they must be feeling to know that she is in charge of at the very top. She has access to their names. How do you, as an intel officer, feel safe on the ground when you've seen the person that is now in your leadership behave in such a manner? How do you feel that you're confident that they have your best interests and your safety at heart? And how do you look at your family when you're talking to them or you come home and face them, knowing that that's what you have at the helm of this entire enterprise?

[Jim Acosta]

And, Olivia, because you were in the national security realm when you worked for Mike Pence in the administration the first time around, when you hear Trump talking about taking the Panama Canal, when you hear Trump talking about taking Greenland just today, talking about Gaza, we're going, quote, we're going to take it, we're going to hold it, we're going to cherish it. Do you take these things seriously, or is this just stuff that comes out of his mouth? I remember that famous Jonathan Swan story about Trump wanting to bomb hurricanes. You know, that was like one of the things that he floated out during the first Trump administration. A lot of stuff, a lot of BS flies out of his mouth. And, you know, it's sort of like, you know, like you might have an uncle where you'd always divide by six. Whatever story he's telling you, divide by six. Is that kind of the situation that you feel like we're seeing with Trump, or do you take this deadly seriously? And should Americans be worried when he talks about wanting Canada be the 51st state?

[Olivia Troy]

I think it's a mixture of both. I think it's partial insanity that he tends to engage in when he talks and he goes off the rails and no one on the staff can control that. Certainly, we've all seen it and we've lived it, those of us that work there in the past. But I also think something not to discount or forget is he's also got an inner circle and Donald Trump, the last person in his ear is oftentimes what he delivers publicly or what he'll say. Right. And so you got to think about the fact that there are probably some people in his inner circle that are advising this, that are really standing, standing by this and actually have these like illusions of, yeah, let's get, let's circle back on Greenland. We didn't get that done the first time around because that was a topic back then. Right. And so now they're back to that. And now we're looking at what he said on Gaza, which is insane. I mean, this is just completely ludicrous for him to say things on the diplomatic stage like that. With the entire Middle east region now looking at, wondering what's going on. Yes. With the King of Jordan now sitting here trying to navigate it. And honestly, I mean, he's here, thank goodness, but he's also here as a representative of the region. Right. Navigating this situation and he's standing strong and he's like, no, we're not, we don't agree with you on this. But you know, but I'm sure that they're seeing opportunity. Right? I mean, what is it? Trump Hotel on the Gaza Strip? Is that what the illusions of granary are? Because this is pretty sick stuff.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. And it's like that old John McCain line, if you don't laugh, you'll cry. But I mean, the people of Gaza, what they've gone through, they've gone through so much. And to have this, you know, something like this forced down their throat where they'll have to be uprooted and moved, it sounds like ethnic cleansing. I mean, it just seems awful. You mentioned people talking to Trump's ear and the last person who is talking into Trump's ear, Elon Musk, seems to have that access in spades. And the thing that I think you could maybe shed some light on is the caliber of people that Elon Musk appears to be unleashing on these various agencies. There's a story in the Washington post last night. 19 year old Musk surrogate takes on roles at State Department and DHS. This is in the Washington Post. 19 years old, folks. I was still working on personal hygiene at 19. I mean, you know, like I, I couldn't really shave my face without cutting the dickens out of it. But the Washington Post says a 19 year old acolyte of Elon Musk, known online as Big Balls, checks out for a 19 year old has taken On.

[Olivia Troy]

I can't even say that name. I can't even say that name with a straight face.

[Jim Acosta]

Okay, I don't want to say. I don't want to say it, but it's in the Washington Post. He's taken on new roles as a senior advisor at the State Department of the Department of Homeland Security, raising concerns among some diplomats. You think, and others about his potential access to sensitive information and the growing reach of his tech billionaire boss into America's diplomatic apparatus. I just can't get past. I mean, yes, the big balls part, yes. LOL. But 19, isn't it? Well, think about it. And.

[Olivia Troy]

Yeah, yes, yeah, let's think about that. So what's Big Balls advising on? Is he doing, like, foreign diplomacy now? Is he. Is he the person that's taking input from whatever random person is publishing on some far right publication and feeding it up the chain? Is he dictating to international bureaus?

[Jim Acosta]

I mean, I'm just picturing what's Spitball's plan? I'm picturing Seth Cohen from the oc, you know, working at the State Department, saying, you know, file this over here and get me that data over there. You know, I don't mean to joke.

[Olivia Troy]

But yeah, I mean, this is, you know, I think there's a certain population out there of Trump supporters and followers who are like, enjoying this sort of like slash and burn of what's happening, but they don't understand the ramifications of what it actually means for them on a personal level as these things continue. And that is, I think, the hard thing for me to watch as we watch some of these people that are getting put in positions of power who really don't actually understand probably what they're doing. They don't understand what they're actually impacting or affecting. And I think on the local level, state level of what's going to happen here in this overall picture.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. And the sad state of affairs is that there should be people like you working in the government, Olivia. Folks like yourself, folks that we did see the first time around. People like Miles Taylor, people who are dedicated public servants, might have an R next to their name. No big whoop. You know, sometimes we have Democrats in office, sometimes we have Republicans. And you want the pros to be in there, you want the professionals to be in there. You don't want it to be big balls. And, you know, Elon Musk, you know, running roughshod over all this. But, Olivia, I'm so glad we got you on. It's great to see you we had a nice long conversation, not like one of those quick deals that we used to do. And I hope we could do this again. But it's great to see you and great to talk to you as always. Hope you're holding up okay.

[Olivia Troy]

Likewise. And hey, this is my first substack live, so thank you for the invite.

[Jim Acosta]

Okay, you got it. All right. Great to see you, Olivia. Thanks for.

[Michael Cohen]

Take care.

[Olivia Troy]

Bye.

[Michael Cohen]

Bye.

[Jim Acosta]

Bye. That was Olivia Troi. And I just want to point out, unlike yesterday where we had the wonderful James Carville on and I had to hold up my phone. Did anybody remember that one? To get stuff on there, we got everything. So it's not that every day. I know we were once called a no frills podcast. And yes, I am working on getting some frills. And speaking of frills, I just want to point out what's over my shoulder. Right. I don't know if you saw this, but there's a plant here. And you might remember this plant for friends of the show, people who've been watching a lot. And there's a post it note on the plant. What does this say? Here, let me just, let me take a look. Is that clear enough on this? I've. I've had some people say. It's not clear on my, on my screen it says, hi, I'm Greg. Yes, yes, I've named the plant Greg. There's a. A viewer out there whose name I won't mention because I'll just get him in trouble, who reached out to me and texted, no, you should, you should call the plant Greg and put it on set. And it was a damn fine suggestion. So there you go. I've got Greg here behind me. Greg's part of the team now on the Jim Acosta show. And I did want to close out talking about something that I'm sure you guys saw last night. You know, and if you go on the Google, you're going to be in. I mean, you're going to be in for something. I don't know if you want to call it a laugh or if you want to call it a cry. But yes, if you Google the Gulf of Mexico, it will tell you now that it's called the Gulf of America. And I just. You know what? I just want to make sure that this is still the case. So if you'll forgive me, I'm going to do a Google. I'm just going to make sure it's still. It says the Gulf of Mexico, and then there it is. It says it right there. It's asking me, yes. Would you like to know your current location? And I'm just going to hold this up and just say, it says the Gulf of America. Now, folks, I love America. I got George Washington over here, I got Lady Liberty over here. I got Greg the Plant right there, and I got Duke right there. I love America, okay? I think America loves me, and I would love to put America on everything. That would be wonderful. Let's just call everything America. Instead of Washington, D.C. we'll just call it America. My home state of Virginia was called America. Let's just call everything America. While we're at it, we're going to call Earth America. We live on the planet America. And I'm just wondering, you know, this is what I'm talking about when I talk about bending the knee. When you talk about bending the knee and giving into the lies and giving into the fear, why in the name of all that is holy, please, dear God, somebody give me the answer. Why is Google referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America? Simply because Donald Trump wants you to do that? What if. Now, I don't know if you saw this, folks, but this is the other thing that I am just having. I'm having a tough time getting my mind around all of this. That's why I have Greg the Plant here to help me out. The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting U.S. representative Buddy Carter not only wants President Donald Trump to acquire Greenland, but the Georgia Republican has offered up a bill in Congress to give the island a new name as well. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Red, White and Blue Land. Yes, we're going to not only take Greenland, but we're going to call it Red, White and Blue Land. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I love the red, white and blue. I'm all about the red, white and blue. I got George Washington over here. I got Lady Liberty over here. I got Greg the Plant right here. All about it, Merica. I'm all about it. But my God, people, this is what bending the knee is all about. This is what giving into the lies is all about. Just because President Caesar Trump wants to call it the Gulf of Mexico does not mean you have to call it the Gulf of Mexico. If he comes out tomorrow and says instead of I pledge allegiance to the flag, we're going to say I pledge allegiance to the president or something along the. You don't have to do it. You don't have to call it the Gulf of America. You don't have to call Earth. Maybe I'll run for president and I'LL say, listen, I'm just telling you right now, we're going to call Earth America from now on, America. Not America. We're just going to call Earth Merica. And from now on, I want all maps of the solar system to have Venus, Mercury, America, Mars, and so on and on and on and on. And I just want folks at home to understand when you are having these same feelings that I'm having. And you're like. And you get that text from your friend or your uncle or your Aunt Ethel or whomever, and they're like, take a look at what's on Google right now. If you Google Gulf of Mexico, it says Gulf of America. Please understand that when you have that gag reflex in your throat and you want to get a little sick to your stomach because you find this to be just kind of wild and stupid and otherworldly, we're all there with you. We're all there with you. It's okay to feel that way. And I just want everybody to understand when I talk about bending the knee and giving into the lies, that is exactly what I'm talking about. Google, I call upon you, the gods of Google. And I've always been a big Google guy. I love the Google. I call upon you to change it back to the Gulf of Mexico. I call upon you to change it back to the Gulf of Mexico. And I'm going to pledge this to you. I will not remove Greg the plant from behind the shoulder on this program until it has changed back to the Gulf of Mexico. Because that is the truth. That is how I was. People are talking about. I want to go back to the way it was. Well, yeah, I do, too. I would like, you know, many of us would like that. I would like to go back to when we called it the Gulf of Mexico. It's silliness. It's stupidity. Stop. Please stop. Please stop doing this. And. But, you know, maybe calling the planet America is not such a bad idea. I mean, that.

[Michael Cohen]

That we'll.

[Jim Acosta]

Maybe we'll take. We'll table that for further discussion next time around. But in the meantime, on behalf of Duke the Dog, on behalf of Greg the Plant and the entire team here at the Jim Acosta Show, I just want to say thanks very much again for watching. Still reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. Have a great day, everybody. Good to see you.

[Olivia Troy]

Take care.