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- [00:00]
Host or Interviewer
I'm joined by Senator Raphael Warnock. Senator Warnock, let's just talk about the humanity of it all. Set aside the politics for a second because all of these actions by the Trump administration at a very basic level just seem to be cruel and inhumane, targeting the most vulnerable. I think too much we talk about the politics and not just the, the human aspect. I like that you talk to the human aspect of it also. What do you make of it all?
- [00:30]
Senator Raphael Warnock
Well, look, the first objective of government is to ensure that the people are protected and that they can make the best out of their lives. Washington Republicans led by Donald Trump are focused on billionaires. They are not focused on the most vulnerable. They're focused on those who are most well connected. And there's no explanation otherwise for this type of policy that would literally take health care from children in order to give billionaires a tax cut. That's what they're up to. They'll name it and try to frame it in various ways. But at the end of the day, this is about giving billionaires a tax cut on the backs of the poorest, the most vulnerable and those who can't afford high priced lobbyists here in Washington.
- [01:20]
Host or Interviewer
D.C. how do you think we connect that though, to the people, to let people get it? Because what these MAGA Republicans are good at, what Trump's good at, he'll give it a marketing slogan, big beautiful bill. They'll do the whole culture war things, the media regurgitates that. So how do you break through in a state like Georgia? How do you speak to the people and say you realize they're literally just stealing from you and, and then giving it to rich people?
- [01:49]
Senator Raphael Warnock
Well, I'm glad you asked that question because I released a report just last week and that's what this is about. One of the things that they're trying to do is make this about work requirements, as they call it. The issue is that they're looking for $800 billion and there's not that much waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid, not $800 billion worth, not even close to. And so they use tricks, they use schemes, they use scams, like so called work requirements is really work reporting requirements because the data shows, my report shows that if you really want more people to work, if you want to strengthen the workforce, the way to do that is to make the workforce healthier, to give people a basic safety net of health care. And when you burden people who are already working sometimes two jobs and trying to make it through school with having to literally account for themselves month after month. What you're really doing is increasing the likelihood that they will not be able to get the health care, that they will not access it. I'm not telling you my opinion. I'm telling you that this is what the cbo, the Congressional Budget Office nonpartisan entity, said, that the result of this is that we're going to see about 7 million people kicked off of the Medicaid rolls. And apparently that is the point. That is what they want to do in order to justify an unnecessary tax cut for billionaires like Elon Musk.
- [03:30]
Host or Interviewer
One of the things I'm very focused on here, and I think it's often the things that deserve the most attention, get the least attention, is Donald Trump denied FEMA aid to Georgia. Republican Governor Brian Kemp requested supplemental aid from Hurricane Helene. Trump rejected that. You know, initially, we're heading into hurricane season on June 1, and we're seeing how slow, if at all, you know, FEMA's reacting to the deaths of, you know, 28 people have died based on these horrible tornadoes in Missouri and Kentucky and Indiana. Donald Trump doesn't even talk. He doesn't even mention that this took place, which to me is an unfathomable thing for the President of the United States not to acknowledge. We just had a mass casualty event caused by horrible storms, and the president doesn't even mention it. And then I'm looking at the future of what's gonna happen as we've destroyed these agencies with storms like that. And that frightens me. And it also frightens me, Senator, and it's not getting enough attention.
- [04:34]
Senator Raphael Warnock
I think he's a little busy working on his meme coin and trying to upgrade his new Qatari jet. Meanwhile, ordinary folks in Georgia are trying their best to make their lives work. I've been on the front lines when these storms have hit our state. I know what it has done to rural communities, in particular to farming, to farmers, to the agricultural sector of our state. And it's the reason why I've always been willing to work with other leaders, Democrat and Republican. I've worked with the Republican governor of Georgia when we've had to respond to that state with hurricanes, with tornadoes, with making sure that people in the middle of our state get the care that they need. And, yes, we're seeing these agencies being stripped bare in search of waste, fraud and abuse. Well, I think a Qatari jet that you want to somehow turn into Air Force One, I think of that old television program Pimp My Ride. I think that that's what waste Fraud and abuse looks like. Meanwhile, ordinary people are just trying to make their lives work as the same Republican Congress wants to cut $800 billion out of Medicaid, $300 billion out of SNAP, literally taking health care and food out of the mouths of hungry children in order to take care of his billionaire friends. That's the agenda. And sadly, too many of my colleagues right here in the Senate and in the Congress are aiding and abetting that agenda. And many of them, like me, are in somebody's church. On Sunday morning. I continue to pastor my church and I often say I'm a Matthew 25 Christian where Jesus said, I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. He also says, I was hungry and you didn't feed me, I was thirsty, you didn't give me anything to drink. And somebody said, master, when did that happen to you? He said, well, inasmuch as you've done it unto the least of these, you've done it also unto me. We must center the people and center their needs. And when we do that, we have a shot at getting the public policy right.
- [07:02]
Host or Interviewer
And I guess if we were to bring that into 2025 under the Trump administration, while I was in need, you were out there asking for gold plated Qatari jets. And not only is it waste, fraud and abuse and violations of the emolument clause, Congress hasn't approved of this, by the way. We learned moments ago the Pentagon announced that it has officially accepted the jed. It's now in American custody from Qatar that will be used by Donald Trump once his ride gets pimped out while Americans are suffering. But there's a real issue here, too, with our international standing and just how this makes us look. I mean, you had President Ramaphosa, the South African president, in the Oval Office, and you know, he's sitting there with Donald Trump and he has to say to Donald Trump, he's like, I'm sorry I don't have the plane to give you, but there are some issues that we need to discuss. And I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, this is just embarrassed. It's like embarrassing to our country. Let me show you that clip and get your reaction to it.
- [08:08]
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
That idiot talks about after viewing a thing where thousands of people are dead.
- [08:13]
Senator Raphael Warnock
I'm sorry, I don't have a plane to give you.
- [08:16]
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
I would. I wish you did. I take it. I would take it. If your country offered the United States Air Force a plan, I would take it.
- [08:23]
Senator Raphael Warnock
Okay.
- [08:25]
Host or Interviewer
What's your response to that.
- [08:27]
Senator Raphael Warnock
It's shameful. And as an American, it's embarrassing. We're seeing in real time, right, what's at stake. This is not about him. This is about us. This is about our country, where you literally have, in real time the leader of another nation state, in this case South Africa, there to talk to him about trade. And he's saying, sorry, Mr. President, we don't have a plane to offer you. And you see why we have an emoluments clause in the first place. This is a matter of national security. This is a matter of the credibility of. Of the United States on the world stage. And this is a dark and dismal moment for our country.
- [09:19]
Host or Interviewer
See any reason for hope, though, Senator? It is a dark and dismal moment. And every day, Americans feel like they're getting gut punched. Wake up. We read some horrible story of Trump doing this or Trump doing that, or even just his behavior. I mean, while all the suffering is going on, he's posting, you know, AI videos of himself hitting golf balls into Bruce Springsteen. And it just, like, for me, I watch it, and I really don't give a crap if he's posting things like that, but it's in the context of all the other bad stuff that he's doing, and it just makes me. It makes me want to puke. It's a physical feeling. And I know a lot of Americans, you know, are actually now feeling physical pain by what he's inflicting, far worse than what I've just described. So I'll be clear about that. So what's your message, finally, before we wrap up to the American people right now?
- [10:13]
Senator Raphael Warnock
Well, here's the thing. In addition to the horrible policy, in addition to the cuts of Medicaid, the cuts of snap, in addition to the attacks on farmers and on our economy, with these tariffs that really are a tax on everything for ordinary people, here's the other work that they're doing. In addition to enriching themselves and enriching his friends, this is the work they're focused on. They are trying to weaponize despair. They're trying to convince us that in this flooding of the zone, they've already won the fight. And I can tell you that as an heir to the civil rights movement, as pastor of the very church where Martin Luther King Jr. Served, as someone who had the humble privileges, serving as John Lewis pastor, I'm not about to buy that lie any more than I buy any of the other lies that they sell. We are not without hope. And my party may be out of power. But we are not without power. And every single day I intend to use my power, use my voice to raise these issues. And I want to encourage every one of your viewers to do the same. Don't give in to those who are trying to weaponize despair. Don't give in to those who are trying to rob you of hope and thus the willingness to stand up and fight. I was John Lewis pastor. He had no reason to believe that when he was crossing that bridge that he was going to beat brute force right on the other side of the bridge with the force of law. And yet history has proven that they were weak and he was strong. The people. It's about the people. It's not about the people in power. It's about. It's about the power in the people. We are strong and it's our moment to stand up.
- [12:00]
Host or Interviewer
Senator Raphael Warnock, thanks for joining us. We hope you come back. Thank you, everybody. Hit subscribe let's get to 5 million subscribers this month.
- [12:09]
Midas Media Representative
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