Democratic Congress Member (3:59)

Chair?

Interjecting Congress Member (3:59)

No.

Republican Congress Member (3:59)

And in fact, lawyers were supposed to be in the room. They were not. People were very frustrated in the information that was being provided. It was a bipartisan briefing, but people were not happy with the level of information that was provided and certainly the level of legal justification that was provided.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (4:14)

And on a bipartisan basis, people who attended this purported briefing by the Trump regime of what went down with these military strikes off the coast of Venezuela with, what is it like, 30 plus people have been killed on these fishing boats. The two people who survived weren't even criminally prosecuted by the Trump regime. They were simply allowed to return to Colombia and Ecuador and live their lives because apparently they're either get killed or they're just not guilty at all. And again, these war crimes right now are being committed in the name of the United States. It's absolutely disgusting. Here's what Democratic Congress member Seth Moulton had to say. Here, play this clip.

Democratic Congress Member Seth Moulton (4:56)

We actually had a bipartisan briefing on the Armed Services Committee yesterday in the House. And I went down to Washington to hear it. And I found their justification for what they're doing so flimsy that it makes the case for the Iraq war look like a slam dunk. I mean, it was that bad. And by the way, at the last minute, they pulled the lawyers from the briefing. So all the questions that both Democrats and Republicans had about exactly what you're getting to what is the legal justification for this? What is the legal justification for the actions that this administration is making our troops take? They weren't there to explain it. And I'll tell you, when I left that briefing, the last thing I did is I went up to the front of the room and I spoke to the admiral, who was by far the most impressive person there, and I said, I hope you recognize the constitutional peril that you are in and the peril that you are putting our troops in. I got the impression from that admiral that this wasn't lost on Him, I'm sure.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (6:04)

So now, moving from international affairs, let's focus on what's going on right here in the United States. Although this is certainly all interconnected. The government shutdown continues. We're now past day 30 with no end in sight as the Trump and MAGA Republicans seem to be enjoying the shutdown that they've created. 42 million Americans are about to go starving this weekend as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program expires, despite the fact that there's $6 billion of funds in a contingency account. And this morning we had to watch MAGA Mike Johnson and Brooke Rollins, the Secretary of Agriculture, explain a contingency emergency account doesn't actually mean contingency and emergency and that the government needs to be fully funded in order to tap into emergency funds, notwithstanding the fact that the Department of Agriculture website, just a few days ago, before they deleted it, said the contingency emergency fund would be used during the government shutdown. But, yeah, just more Orwellian 1984 stuff right here by this MAGA regime. But here's MAGA Mike Johnson from his press conference earlier today. And as MAGA Mike, who is the speaker of the House, he has adjourned. He's not allowed Congress, the House of Representatives that is to come into session now for weeks and weeks and weeks. There's been about 12 work days in the past 100 days. And he told Maga, Republicans, go on vacation, do not come to the House of Representatives. Don't talk to Democrats. We don't speak to Democrats there. There are fewer. Trump has said to them, you can't even talk to Democrats at all yet alone negotiate with Democrats. So what does MAGA Mike do? He holds a press conference today where he goes, where are the Democrats? They've skipped town. They're on vacation. Dude, you're the speaker of the House. Call the House of Representatives into session so people can work. The Democrats have been there ready to work. And you told everybody, go home and go on paid vacation while Americans suffer. This was MAGA Mike from earlier today. Play this clip.

Democratic Congress Member (8:12)

The limits have been reached here. And what are the Democrats doing today? Where are the Democrats? Are they in the Senate today? No, they're out campaigning. While critical snap benefits run dry, the Democrats have skipped town. They've abandoned their post in the Senate. And the reason that's so important and noteworthy for the American people is the Senate is the only place where this can end. The last hope of reopening the government before millions of Americans go hungry. They've abandoned their post and then you.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (8:41)

Had Brooke Rollins, the secretary for the Department of Agriculture, and she says the government has failed you. We've failed you. Okay, it's true. You have. You're the government. Donald Trump controls all branches of government. The executive branch, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Supreme Court does your bidding. We know, we see it. We know that you're utter failures. Here's what Brooke Rollins says. Play this clip.

Kevin Hassett / Brooke Rollins / Various Clips (9:06)

My message to America is first, the fact that your government is failing you right now, that poverty is not red or blue. It is not a Republican or Democrat issue. Doesn't matter who you voted for or even if you voted that if you are in a position where you can't feed your family and you're relying on that $187 a month for an average family in the SNAP program, that we have failed you.

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But, but, but.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (9:41)

Donald Trump, secretary at the Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins says there's a silver lining to your suffering. You want to know what the silver lining the Trump regime says? You now have learned more about the SNAP program. Lots of people are talking about SNAP now. So that's the silver lining.

Kevin Hassett / Brooke Rollins / Various Clips (9:59)

Play this clip that I guess the silver lining in all of this is that we're having a national conversation on our SNAP program, that this has sort of shined a light on a program that, especially under the last administration, has just become so bloated, so broken, so dysfunctional, so corrupt that it is astonishing.

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Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (11:36)

Allies, how are the MAGA Republicans talking about this? Well, on their state regime, media and the MAGA Republican senators, this is a direct quote that they're saying they go people are using SNAP benefits to get their nails done, to get their weaves and their hair done. This is an ugly program. Yeah, I guess. Good that all you youngsters get to experience the welfare queen talking point. Ronald Reagan first trotted out when I was a teenager says this one account 40 years later, they're literally running the same playbook, frankly, but worse. Here, play this clip.

Democratic Congress Member Seth Moulton (12:12)

You have Republic. I mean, this is a program that has exploded over the last 20 years and we are just dumping 100 billion a year into a program that we all know is being so woefully corrupted and exploited. People are selling their benefits. People are using them to get their nails done, to get their weaves and their hair. I mean, this is a really ugly program. It's weird to me to hear Josh Hawley screaming that we have to protect this and that. We're not talking about why is it so ridiculously expensive and exploited and what can we do to make it better.

Republican Congress Member (12:42)

I just provided my colleagues another one of my charts yesterday that showed from the inception in the 70s until President Obama, we would fluctuate somewhere between 6 and 10% of Americans on food stamps. Right. Then Obama came in, dramatically increased flux of eligibility. Now it's between 10 and 15% and they have 42 million Americans, 12 and a 12.3% of our population on food stamps. That is not a metric of success.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (13:08)

More for Mega Mike Johnson this morning. He says that he will not be bringing the House back into session until the government reopens. Play this clip.

Republican Congress Member (13:16)

What circumstances has you bring this bring the House back.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (13:20)

What are you looking for before you do that?

Democratic Congress Member (13:22)

Brian? We are anxious to get the House back to regular legislative session, but we have to get the lights turned back on. Chuck Schumer and the Democrats in the Senate have got to reopen the government again. It's the most fundamental responsibility of Congress is to have the government operate and work for the people. And that's the number one priority right now. And we cannot deviate from that. That is the goal.

Republican Congress Member (13:42)

Not until the mission has to be.

Interjecting Congress Member (13:43)

Done, not until it opens.

Democratic Congress Member (13:45)

That's exactly right.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (13:47)

Mr. Speaker, thanks so much. Thank you, sir. Well, all of this is taking place while Americans are starving to death here in the United States, while our economy is doing horrible for most Americans here in the United States, as inflation is surging, as we may be going to war soon with Venezuela. There was a very productive meeting in Asia between Prime Minister Carney of Canada and Xi Jinping, the complete polar opposite of the disastrous meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. As Canada potentially looks to remove its 100% tariffs on the electric vehicle industry in China, China will remove its restrictions from Canada. Really, the first time there's been this talk since 2017 between Canada and China because Canada would listen to the United States and the United States would say, don't talk to China. And now Canada's like, f that, of course we're going to talk to China. Let's get those BYD. Let's get those cheap EVs here, and let's destroy the American auto industry. Right. Canada is charting a new course that's going to cause decades and decades of pain in the United States because Canada was the United States biggest client, biggest trading partner, essentially. And so there was this productive, great meeting between Carney and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of one of these conferences in South Korea that the meeting took place today. So more from Kevin Hassett here, Donald Trump's chief economic adviser, our National Economic Council adviser, and he starts to bash Canada even more. Here, play this clip.

Kevin Hassett / Brooke Rollins / Various Clips (15:21)

If Canada moves away from the United States more towards China in terms of a trading relationship, is that good for the United States?

Interjecting Congress Member (15:31)

What is good for the United States is getting Canada to start to adhere to their previous agreements and to follow the rule of law and to stop punishing Americans companies the way they've been. The negotiations with China have been very, very frustrating for President Trump. You know, as an example, they have a huge digital service tax on companies that stream things like Netflix, that if anybody who makes content that you watch when you go home at the end of the day and you flip around to watch a show, that they've got to make a quota in Canada of how many Canadian actors they have. They've got stuff like that littered throughout the economy. And it's gotten worse and worse under these liberal governments. And so President Trump won't stand for it. He's tried to negotiate with the Canadians to get better deals for Americans, and they've been, frankly, rude and dismissive. And this is how it gets to where we are. But the bottom line is we had an enormous victory in China that there's a great, great deal for Americans, that the American farmers are going to be selling their soybeans. And all of that happened while the Chinese accepted a tariff that was much larger than they started with in January. And so it's a big win for the American people and for the President.

Kevin Hassett / Brooke Rollins / Various Clips (16:43)

President calling the meeting with Xi a 12 out of 10. One of the critical parts about it. Yeah, exactly.

Democratic Congress Member (16:52)

Well played.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (16:53)

Such a, just again, a paternal list. Such a very straight. It's the type of language you would expect from someone who wants Canada to be the 51st state. Utterly disgusting. And by the way, when I said that America's economy is not doing well right now, you could say, well Ben, you're, you're a liberal, you're progressive. Ban. You just say though you don't like Trump. So you say that. Well, I mean, go, go leave your house, go shopping, see what the prices are, see what's going on. Rather than Donald Trump saying it's a golden age. By the way, if you have a house, if you can afford rent right now, which lots of people can, are living paycheck to paycheck, highest credit card delinquencies, highest student loan default rates, you know, basically the jobless claims are through the roof, GDP is getting lower, inflation is surging. That's called stagflation, folks. There's a name for that. But why don't you listen to MAGA Republican Congress member Ryan Zink and see what he has to say. Here, play this clip.

Republican Congress Member (17:47)

You know, the government shut down itself. You know, you can go a couple weeks, but as you pointed out, your economy is not great. There's a lot of strain. This injects another degree of uncertainty, distraction in the economy and it's going to affect and we're going to see WIC go away. We're going to see benefits of people that really need help. They won't be able to get it.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (18:10)

Well, but folks, while all of that is taking place, guess what else is happening? You have Cash Patel, the FBI director, traveling around in private jets paid for by the taxpayers with his 26 year old girlfriend. That's right, FBI Director Cash Patel was busted going to a concert that his 26 year old girlfriend was playing at at the Real American Freestyle Pro Wrestling event at Penn State University using private jets funded by the taxpayers. He then flew her back to Tennessee. And as many people expected because this became a huge scandal, that he was going to try to create some distraction. And it seems that there is, there was just an announcement today, FBI thwarts potential terrorist attack arrests multiple people in Michigan, Patel says Kendallane and then wrote There seems to be consternation within the FBI that the Director announced these arrests prematurely. And that's right. New reporting by Carol Lenny. She's a great reporter and and Kendall Indian are told that senior DOJ and FBI officials are frustrated that Cash Patel publicly disclosed a Michigan terror investigation before a criminal complaint was prepared and before key details were clear, including what exactly the plot entailed. These were young people radicalized online, we're told. Just how capable they were or how imminent this was remained to be seen. So he blew a massive operation because many said he needed a kind of Wag the Dog moment. He needed a distraction right here from the fact that everybody's now looking into why are you taking a $60 million taxpayer funded jet to jet around the country with your 26 year old girlfriend, 45 year old FBI director bringing her to all of these events, landing her back in Nashville, Tennessee hanging out with her while we're in the middle of a freaking government shutdown right now. The hell is going on. Well hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers and thanks for watching. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our substack@midasplus.com you'll get daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski, ad free episodes of our podcast and more.

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Republican Congress Member (21:43)

Got donuts.

Kevin Hassett / Brooke Rollins / Various Clips (21:44)

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Republican Congress Member (21:47)

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Kevin Hassett / Brooke Rollins / Various Clips (21:53)

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Republican Congress Member (22:05)

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Kevin Hassett / Brooke Rollins / Various Clips (22:13)

Nice. Jeffrey, you heard them.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (22:15)

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Republican Congress Member (22:22)

So what are we having for launch?

Kevin Hassett / Brooke Rollins / Various Clips (22:23)

Dude, my work here is done.

Ben (Progressive Political Commentator) (22:25)

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