Tulsi Gabbard Catches Her Critics Off Guard with Her Blistering Reaction to False Smears

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Rubin Report – Episode: Tulsi Gabbard Catches Her Critics Off Guard with Her Blistering Reaction to False Smears

Host: Dave Rubin
Guests: Jillian Michaels, Sage Steele, Russell Brand
Release Date: January 31, 2025

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I. Introduction

In this episode of The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin welcomes his guests—Jillian Michaels, Sage Steele, and Russell Brand—for an engaging discussion centered around recent political events, particularly focusing on Tulsi Gabbard's Senate confirmation hearings. The conversation delves into the tactics used against Gabbard, the broader implications for American politics, and touches upon other significant topics such as high-profile nominations and immigration policies.

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II. Tulsi Gabbard's Confirmation Hearing

Dave Rubin initiates the discussion by highlighting the intense Senate confirmation hearings Tulsi Gabbard is undergoing for the position of Director of National Intelligence. He underscores the bipartisan attacks Gabbard is facing and sets the stage for an in-depth analysis of the proceedings.

Notable Quote:

Tulsi Gabbard: "[...] those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience, and the Constitution of the United States." (04:27)

Gabbard confronts allegations of being influenced by multiple foreign and political figures, emphasizing her independence and unwavering commitment to the Constitution.

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III. Reactions to the Hearing

Sage Steele shares her personal experience of attending the hearing, describing the atmosphere as "indescribably intense." She praises Gabbard's composure, noting how her calm demeanor and resolute stance left a lasting impression on both supporters and detractors.

Notable Quote:

Sage Steele: "No matter what the topic, the question, the tone, Tulsi Gabbard is unbreakable." (06:08)

Russell Brand echoes these sentiments, criticizing the Senate's approach as theatrical and lacking genuine curiosity, ultimately undermining the credibility of the confirmation process.

Notable Quote:

Russell Brand: "It's just a type of empty theater. It ain't dissimilar to the View." (14:56)

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IV. Other Confirmation Hearings: Kash Patel and Bobby Kennedy

The conversation shifts to other high-profile nominations, including Kash Patel for the FBI Director and Bobby Kennedy for the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Kash Patel's Hearing: Kash Patel faces accusations regarding his statements about the FBI headquarters, which Ramsey quickly labels as a "masterclass of how you deal with dishonest attacks."

Notable Quote:

Kash Patel: "[...] any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair." (13:07)

Bobby Kennedy's Hearing: Bobby Kennedy addresses the rampant issues within the pharmaceutical industry, criticizing the influence of big pharma on American health.

Notable Quote:

Bobby Kennedy: "70% of pharmaceutical profits globally come from our country, which has 4.2% of the world's population." (20:15)

Russell Brand commends Kennedy's courage in standing up against entrenched interests, highlighting the media's role in vilifying him despite his valid concerns.

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V. Media and Political Tactics

The guests critique the Senate's handling of confirmation hearings, likening them to competitive reality shows that prioritize spectacle over substance. They argue that such tactics erode public trust and stifle meaningful discourse.

Notable Quote:

Jillian Michaels: "The attacks are ad hominem. [...] I could run down the litany of statistics." (21:26)

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VI. Blackhawk-Heathcock Plane Crash and DEI Discussion

A tragic incident involving the collision of a Blackhawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane sparks debate about the role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in government operations. Jillian Michaels and Sage Steele express frustration over the premature politicization of the tragedy, advocating for a thorough investigation before attributing blame to DEI initiatives.

Notable Quote:

Jillian Michaels: "It's a mistake to blame it on DEI. This is just a person that is frighteningly bad at their job." (38:00)

Dave Rubin presents statements from Donald Trump criticizing DEI policies, which the guests analyze in the context of the crash and broader governmental competency.

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VII. Immigration Policies Under Trump

The discussion transitions to Trump's aggressive immigration policies, including mass arrests and the construction of large detention facilities. Sage Steele defends these measures as necessary for national security, while Jillian Michaels emphasizes the importance of legal immigration and proper vetting processes.

Notable Quote:

Sage Steele: "Whatever it takes...national security, which to me begins at the border." (49:09)

Jillian Michaels shares her personal experience with legal immigration, advocating for a system that supports both the host community and newcomers.

Notable Quote:

Jillian Michaels: "I adopted a child from another country because I had this golden ticket of giving citizenship to this country." (58:51)

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VIII. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, the guests reflect on the evolving political landscape, the importance of competence in government roles, and the challenges of navigating highly charged political environments. They stress the need for integrity, thorough investigation, and a move away from sensationalism to foster genuine progress.

Notable Quote:

Dave Rubin: "It's refreshing hearing the desire for competency again in government." (46:38)

The episode concludes with light-hearted banter about weekend plans, leaving listeners with a sense of camaraderie and hope for more substantive political discourse in the future.

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Key Takeaways:

• Tulsi Gabbard's Resilience: Gabbard stands firm against unfounded allegations, demonstrating unwavering commitment to her principles and the Constitution.

• Critique of Political Theater: The Senate's handling of confirmation hearings is likened to entertainment, undermining the seriousness of the process.

• Media's Role in Vilification: High-profile nominees like Kash Patel and Bobby Kennedy face aggressive media attacks, questioning the integrity of both the media and the political opponents.

• DEI Policies Under Scrutiny: The tragic plane crash ignites a debate on DEI policies, highlighting the tension between governmental competency and inclusivity initiatives.

• Trump's Immigration Policies: Aggressive measures to control immigration are defended as necessary for national security, while emphasizing the need for legal and empathetic immigration processes.

• Call for Competency and Integrity: The guests collectively advocate for competent, principled leadership free from political bias and media sensationalism.

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Notable Timestamps:

1. 04:27 – Tulsi Gabbard's opening statement against smears.
2. 06:08 – Sage Steele on Gabbard's unbreakable demeanor.
3. 14:56 – Russell Brand criticizes the Senate's theatrical approach.
4. 13:07 – Kash Patel defends his integrity during confirmation.
5. 20:15 – Bobby Kennedy's critique of the pharmaceutical industry.
6. 21:26 – Jillian Michaels on ad hominem attacks.
7. 38:00 – Discussion on DEI policies in relation to the crash.
8. 49:09 – Sage Steele defends Trump's immigration policies.
9. 58:51 – Jillian Michaels advocates for legal immigration based on personal experience.
10. 46:38 – Call for competency in government roles.

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, providing insights into the critical discussions surrounding Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation hearings, the media's role in political vilification, and the broader implications for American politics and policies.

Transcript

[Dave Rubin]

All right, ladles and jelly spoons. I'm Dave Rubin. This is the Rubin Report, and I am very excited. You know, it takes a lot to get me excited, but I am very excited about today's roundtable extravaganza because we have three absolute Internet All Stars, good friends of mine and people who make some sense. We've got Jillian Michaels all the way from Los Angeles. It's early over there, and she's a little upset that her hair is not exactly the way she wants it to be. We have my good friend Sage Steele from the free state of Florida. And we have the British, but now Floridian Russell Brand on the other side of Florida. And, guys, before I have you chime in. I. I realized that we are now live against the View. We're four people in boxes here, but there are people on this planet that are watching the View right now. And I guess as I'm the moderator here, that makes me whoopee. So my first question to all of you is, which member of the View are you for our purposes today? Sage, you first.

[Sage Steele]

I think it's kind of obvious why I should be Whoopi. I don't know what to tell you from there. Listen, no way in hell am I sunny, okay? I'd rather die.

[Dave Rubin]

Yeah, yeah. Just. Just for shoulder pad purposes alone. You are not sunny. Nobody wants to be Sunny. Jillian, who would you be? This is. There's really no good answer here.

[Jillian Michaels]

You know what, Dave? I gotta be honest. I never watch that show. The only two that I know of, because they always make your clip real, would be Sunny or Whoopi. So I have to pick one. Is Anna Navarro on there? She is gonna be, like, a default person because I'm totally, totally. That show is unwatchable.

[Dave Rubin]

Russell, which unbearable woman do you want to be today?

[Russell Brand]

Can I be Joy Bear? Can I be Joy Bear? Or could I be what about. Or Meghan Markle? Meghan Markle. I know she's not on there yet, but surely it's only a matter of time. It's difficult to focus while Gillian's hair and makeup is so substandard, Dave. So I'm going to try and focus on your topics. But our female contributors are not at View levels, is what I will say when it comes to hair and makeup.

[Dave Rubin]

And I'm definitely not paying you guys as much as they get paid on the View either. So there you go. All right, guys, is somebody getting paid?

[Jillian Michaels]

Nobody told what?

[Russell Brand]

I thought we were on a percentage of programmatic ad revenue, right?

[Dave Rubin]

Yes. Yes. You'll all. You'll all split the YouTube pre roll ads that we get on this that could basically get you a beer tonight.

[Jillian Michaels]

Big money.

[Dave Rubin]

Yeah. Yeah. Big cash out. All right, we're gonna recap the week. Obviously, there is a ton going on, and I want to start with some of this Senate confirmation stuff because we know. I know that all of us know some of these people personally, and the circus that we saw this week was just such a perfect example of the type of politics that people are over with. So why don't we start with Tulsi Gabbard, because she obviously is going in to be head of Director of National Intelligence, and she's getting hit, really, from both sides. Bobby is, too, which we'll get to that in a moment. But here we go with Tulsi, who is just an absolute class act, explaining why she's getting attacked and what she want, why she even wants a gig that is, you could say, less than something you're gonna be loved for.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

Before I close, I wanna warn the American people who are watching at home, you may hear lies and smears in this hearing that'll challenge my loyalty to and my love for. For our country. Those who oppose my nomination imply that I am loyal to something or someone other than God, my own conscience, and the Constitution of the United States. Accusing me of being Trump's puppet, Putin's puppet, Assad's puppet, a guru's puppet, Modi's puppet. Not recognizing the absurdity of simultaneously being the puppet of five different puppet masters. The same tactic was used against President Trump and failed. The American people elected President Trump with a decisive victory and mandate for change. The fact is, what truly unsettles my political opponents is I refuse to be their puppet.

[Dave Rubin]

Sage, let me start with you here, because first, everyone knows Tulsi is a friend of mine. I love and adore her. I know how much she loves this country. You were there yesterday. We also just two or three months ago, we were at the MSG rally that Tulsi spoke at the big Trump rally, and we had dinner with her after. This is a woman who loves this country, who was doing this all without being paid, just like you did when you were on the campaign with Trump. And to just watch them go after her in the nastiest possible ways. What did it feel like in the room yesterday?

[Sage Steele]

Oh, my goodness, Dave. I, first of all, had never been to any kind of confirmation hearing, had never been in those rooms, those buildings. I felt sick to my stomach, and I was just sitting there trying to support her along with some other friends and family. I do love that opening statement that you showed. And to me, that was the key part of it. I thought it was really, really smart as well to give people a little bit of a precursor to what might be coming. And I think that it. I wonder how much it affected some of their questions because she kind of. It was a preemptive strike. I did think that was smart. Obviously, the headlines I know we'll talk about it is how they crushed her. They kept going hard on Edward Snowden. And I'll just say this. No matter what the topic, the question, the tone, Tulsi Gabbard is unbreakable. You know her, many of us know her, and you can't crack that woman. So I had a view where I was able to see the monitor as well. And when you could kind of see her smirk a little bit, no matter who was coming after, including the senator from Colorado, Bennett, who went through a tantrum, she wouldn't crack. And I think that ticked them off. That's what calmed me down, is to see her so calm.

[Dave Rubin]

Russell, what do you make of the fact that they're going after somebody who is a current member of our military, who was a Democrat her entire career until this last year? She, in essence, was one of them. And now they want to paint her as an anti American stooger in the pocket of Assad. I mean, it's just. It's just endless nonsense.

[Russell Brand]

In her preemptive remarks, she used the ridiculous image of a puppet that was operated by five masters. But what's become clear over the course of these confirmation hearings is you can feel the insidious seeping influence that is behind each and every senator. For example, Bernie Sanders seems to be dreadfully opposed to onesies. He loathes those onesies. I don't know what vested interests there are there. So in a way, what I feel like when I'm watching those confirmation hearings is that it's no better than something like the view people that are paid to express particular opinions attacking, in the case of both Tulsi Gabbard and Bobby Kennedy, politicians with integrity, which typically we take to be a paradoxical statement and an impossibility.

[Dave Rubin]

Gillian, your political evolution, which you, on this show, in this very room just a couple months ago, for the first time, publicly said you were gonna vote for Trump. It mirrors Tulsi's. It kind of mirrors mine, I think, a little bit of all of us to some extent. But it definitely mirrors what so many people are seeing in the country right now that you take a moderate like Tulsi, you paint her like a maniac, and then everyone else is like, well, I guess I'm a maniac too.

[Jillian Michaels]

I think we should address the top criticisms that they are throwing at her and why she would engage in this behavior, like meeting with Bashar Al Assad. I think that's really important because when you hear she sat down with Bashar Al Assad and she essentially said that she didn't think he was responsible. And she's a Putin apologist, people really don't know why she did this. And I've had to take a deep dive myself just in order to defend her. And I often thought, like, well, surely it's because she'd rather talk to people than fight them. She's a combat veteran. She's trying to find solutions for peace. She's on fact finding missions. But it appears to go far deeper than that. And my understanding of it at this moment in time is that she has seen the way America. And I am not anti American, but there are certain special interests that encourage the United States interventionist foreign policy and engagement in regime changes so that a select few of the extraordinarily powerful get extraordinarily rich. And that is why she was sitting with Bashar Al Assad, to try to find out why the United States was encouraging a regime change there. And whether or not you think that she's overly skeptical, in similar ways to Bobby Kennedy, she has seen some extraordinary corruption that has cost the lives of millions. And she talks about it with Iraq, for example, and that is why she was there. This is a woman who does love her country, doesn't want to see anybody suffer or die so that a handful of powerful people become trillionaires instead of billionaires. And I encourage everybody to do their homework. And the last thing I'm going to say on this, if you're thinking, oh, come on now, the CIA has an NGO and it's called the National Endowment for Defense. I actually interviewed a historian who understands the way that we've participated in these regime changes. And that's basically what these guys do, is they go in and they fund this. And that's all I'm going to. I'll stop there because I could go on a whole tirade about it, but I really encourage people to take a deep dive before you make any judgments or opinions on her.

[Dave Rubin]

Yeah, it all just feels so disingenuous. You don't have to agree with her on absolutely everything. And she's evolved, by the way, which she's Open about Sage. Did you get to talk to her after her? How was she feeling afterwards?

[Sage Steele]

Well, it's interesting because that went on, that line of questioning went on after the intros, et cetera, for about two and a half hours. It was so intense. And then there was a little bit of a break, and then she had to go behind closed doors for those, you know, confidential. I mean, the questions continued for another couple of hours. Then everybody met up at someone else's house there on Capitol Hill. She was in great spirits. Her mother had flown over from Hawaii, as well as many other family members coming in from across the country. Got to talk to her husband Abe, who sat right in front of me there, and I loved getting his perspective. I said, how is she? I did ask Tulsi as well, how are you? And she's like, I'm actually really good. I said, do you get to sleep? And she said a lot. Yes, tonight and into to today, last night and today. And real quick, they're going to give a whole other line of questions to her later today. And during that time, she has, like, 24 hours to submit the answers to all these questions. So this is not over. It is far from over. She was tired, understandably so, because the process, as I understand now, to get to this point, the preparation every single day, hours and hours to get to this point of yesterday is indescribably intense. But it's not over yet. She, Dave, as you know, it's as calm, cool, as collected as anybody I've ever been around. She is meant for this moment and is certainly confident going forward after yesterday. But she knew, we all knew coming in. Of the three most controversial people that are nominees with Cash Patel, Bobby Kennedy and Tulsi, she won one A. As far as the people that they say, this is gonna be really tough. She knows what she's up against. But you know what? She's seen bigger things. She has fought wars and represented this country in bigger ways. She's got it.

[Dave Rubin]

Yeah, I think she does. Well, I think she's got it, at least in terms of the ideas and being professional. Everything else, whether she's got. Whether she's got the votes, we will see in a bit. But, Russell, before I have you chime in, let's jump to this video of Kash Patel. He's obviously been nominated to be head of the FBI, and here he is just. I think this is just a masterclass of how you deal with the dishonest attacks.

[Sage Steele]

Did you say that the FBI headquarters should be shut down and Reopened as a museum of the deep state.

[Dave Rubin]

The chairman.

[Kash Patel]

Are we allowed to go an extra time?

[Donald Trump]

Let's see you got you get a second round. Before I call on Senator, could he.

[Sage Steele]

Just answer the question? If he said that the FBI headquarters where they investigate cybercrime and terrorism.

[Dave Rubin]

Mr. Chair.

[Sage Steele]

Shut down and open as a deep state.

[Dave Rubin]

Mr.

[Sage Steele]

Chair. The museum. Did he say that the headquarters should be shut down?

[Dave Rubin]

Mr.

[Donald Trump]

Chair.

[Sage Steele]

I deserve an answer to that question. He is asking to be head of the FBI. And he said that their headquarters should be shut down.

[Dave Rubin]

Mr. Chair.

[Donald Trump]

Parliamentary inquiry. You got anything you want to say, Mr. Patel?

[Dave Rubin]

Before I go on to Senator Lee?

[Kash Patel]

Simply this. If the best attacks on me are gonna be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI. I stood with them here in this country in every theater of war we have. I was on the ground in service of this nation. And any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair. And I will have you reminded that I have been endorsed by over 300,000 law enforcement officers to become the next director of the FBI. Let's ask them.

[Dave Rubin]

So Russell, as I understand it, he did kind of say that as a joke. Obviously, he's not turning it into a museum, but it illustrates a point which is, boy, you guys have been pretty freaking corrupt. And maybe there should be a wing in this building where we look at some of that corruption. But I just liked to me that's a masterclass on direct. Here's what I am here to do. And I'm not just. I'm not gonna put up with this nonsense.

[Russell Brand]

Did you say. Did you say that it should be a museum? Come on, be on it. Did you actually say that in good faith? No, I don't. I'm not interested in anything. El. Just this museum detail, in a sense exposes the theatricality of that endeavor, even though it leads to a real and meaningful and effective vote as the confirmation itself, again and again you see people deploying rhetorical devices that if they were being deployed solely on the basis of entertainment, you'd question their credibility. But as part of a legislative process, to see such puerility and foolishness and sort personal grievance expressed as the part of the process of government's ridiculous.

[Dave Rubin]

Gillian, I was kind of thinking as I've been watching this stuff that it's like maybe this is exactly how it has to be right now. Meaning Trump is bringing in all of these New people who are thinking about things in a completely different way. We're saying goodbye to an old system. And when you watch Klobuchar or Bernie Sanders or some of these other people, they're just holding onto the old thing. So in some sense, we had to get to this, like, very obvious loggerhead, something like that.

[Jillian Michaels]

Well, those tactics work. I see them work on my friends in California all the time. And for that reason, I have to steel men my positions. And I did a deep dive on Cash Patel because one of the criticisms that I have lobbied at Trump is that he chooses loyalists. Right? So I thought, okay, well, is this guy not qualified? And I spoke to John Cardillo about it, actually, who you were kind enough to introduce me to. His experience in counterterrorism, intelligence and law enforcement has been going on for years now. He's worked in the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, and the House Intelligence Committee. Now, I want to address one thing that Klobucher said where she talked about how they go after serial killers. So this is what John just taught me. He goes, she's talking about the behavioral Sciences unit. And everybody loves these guys. And this is the To Catch a Killer guys that you watch on your favorite Netflix show. He goes where there is corruption. And he said, they're too powerful, they're too partisan, and there's little to no oversight is the national security branch of the FBI. And that is what Kash Patel is coming in to perform a complete overhaul upon. And so that is my feeling on Kash Patel. Dave?

[Sage Steele]

Dave?

[Dave Rubin]

Yes.

[Sage Steele]

I love you, Joanne. No, I was just going to say, I have such a problem sometimes looking at these senators who are, who are trying to go for. They say Bennett from Colorado said to Tulsi, this is not an Internet moment. And by the way, an hour after he went wild, he posted that clip on the Internet. So stop with all that. But there's so much hypocrisy in it, which is why maybe it's your point. Yes, we need to do it this way. But then you have Amy Klobuchar, who is also in Minnesota, the senator who is absolutely fine with men and boys taking over women and girls sports. You lose me there. Bernie Sanders. And I love how RFK called him out yesterday as well, too. Right?

[Dave Rubin]

Yeah.

[Sage Steele]

Aren't you on second on the list of the millions of dollars you've gotten from big Pharma? So you lose me when you can't even be honest and open and follow the science with so many basic issues. That's my problem with it, and I know it'll probably never change, but the credibility matters, right?

[Dave Rubin]

And that thing colliding into itself. Russell, it reminds me of that clip that I've played on this show a zillion times of you on Bill Maher when they're asking you about MSNBC and you're like, there was no one named Joe here. It wasn't the morning. And it's like, it's basically just the more they get out there and do these ridiculous theatrics, the more everybody can see through it.

[Russell Brand]

Yeah, you've nailed it. It's the moment of the interface. You're seeing the old order with its last blast of incredulity at these new people that have been voted in under a popular mandate. It would have been ridiculous two years ago that conspiracy theorist and terror of Fauci Bobby Kennedy could be granted dominion over a $1.6 trillion budget. It's outrageous. But someone like Tulsi Gabbard, with her evident credibility, when you see Tulsi on the View, it looks anomalous to see someone with pronounced and vivid credibility in that, in the theater of change. We just saw, I suppose, the epitomizing moment where all these figures and not everyone in the Trump administration is perfect. But some of the figures that represent the countercultural moment of MAGA meets Maha are now under review. And I think your analysis is correct that there eventually had to be the kind of molecular repulsion or explosion of the two worlds meeting.

[Dave Rubin]

Right. Even if you look at the four of us. Go ahead, Sage. But if you look at the four of us, it's like, how did we all come together? It's cuz they. They threw us together.

[Sage Steele]

Well, and it's when people actually are forced in many ways to. To start using our brains. I go back to that UFC fight in at Madison Square Garden a week or two after the election. And that picture, I thought was an iconic picture, Right. You've got Dana White there, you've got Donald Trump there. And who is the picture with? It's with Elon Musk, Robert Kennedy and Tulsi Gabbard. These are people who are like to say, opposing Trump at the very least, Right. So when we talk about puppets and loyalists, okay, maybe, but right there, these people that he has front and center just a couple of months ago with RFK were on the exact opposite side trying to bring him down. So I do think we have to give Trump some credit for evolving and letting go of bygones, past bygones, because he doesn't have a bunch of yes men and women right now lined up with him.

[Dave Rubin]

And if I'm not mistaken, they'll check me on this. But Tulsi voted to impeach Trump, didn't she? I mean, that right there tells you like, wow, you people really have done this to yourselves. Let's jump to the one that was the real fireworks, which of course was Bobby Kennedy, who has been nominated to be the head of hhs. And Russell just hit on this. But this is just a beautiful, beautiful moment.

[Bobby Kennedy]

We're not getting healthier. Americans are getting less and less healthy. 70% of pharmaceutical profits globally come from our country, which has 4.2% of the world's population. We're the only country that allows full scale pharmaceutical ads on tv. And we're all being told, you can make yourself, you can eat anything you want, you can smoke anything you want, you can do anything you want, and there'll be a drug to fix you in the end. And it is not a good formula. And our kids are getting sicker and sicker. They're not getting better. Nobody here, all the people here who are defending this current system and defending these pharmaceutical industry profits, many of whom are taking huge amounts of money on the pharmaceutical industry, millions of dollars for many of these senators and none of that. This is not making our country healthier, it's making us sicker. We need to get rid of these conflicts. We need good science and we need good leadership is able to stand up to these big industries and not bend over for them.

[Dave Rubin]

Quick clarification. So Tulsi voted present for the impeachment, but the point still stands. This was not somebody that was, let's say, in bed with Trump just, you know, a couple of years ago. Gillian, let me start with you there, because you've been on the forefront of eating right and taking care of yourself and having those tight abs for many decades now. The fact that they have tried to make this man who is getting, who is literally trying to get poison out of children's cereal into some comic book bad guy, man, you gotta, like, admire the game in some way.

[Jillian Michaels]

Well, that is exactly the game, right? The attacks are ad hominem. So you're attacking his character in large part. And I had never in my entire life seen a public figure so viciously and aggressively maligned from calling him a predator. He eats dogs. I mean, I have never literally, Newsweek went so far as to print an article as well as Vanity Fair and CNN that he eats dogs, which of course has subsequently been debunked but they have to go after his character because it's impossible to attack the message. And I could run down the litany of statistics that we've all heard a million times now about how Americans are getting sicker across the board. And the bottom line is that we are, in effect, in the middle of an extinction level event. Change needs to happen. It needs to happen now. But the powers that be are getting their bread buttered by big Ag, Big food, Big Pharma, and big insurance. And to see Elizabeth Warren have the balls to get up there and grandstand and try to infer that he is going to use this to enrich himself. When you can go to opensecrets.org and see how much this. I swear to God, this woman has taken from these four industries. Oh, my God. She is the devil incarnate. She's just. I'll stop talking. It is.

[Dave Rubin]

No, I'm with you. She was so vile yesterday. And we played a video. We play, you know, she's going on and on about children's vaccines, and we can all have the debate about the schedule or whatever, but there's a video of her from like a year or two ago where she's screaming about how there are too many pregnancy centers in Massachusetts, pregnancy centers which help women who might have abortions go ahead and have the baby. So she's very upset that these organizations exist because she wants as many people to have abortions as possible, but. But meanwhile, she's screaming about the vaccine schedule for kids. Russell, you know Bobby really well. I've seen you do a ton of events with him. I mean, I get the theater part of this, but it's still kind of shocking, right?

[Russell Brand]

I love what Julian said, Dave, about the vilification and the endeavor to vilify Bobby. I saw his cousin bought out onto the media to make some pretty extreme condemnations like, out of context, I think she said, I saw him making a milkshake out of baby mouses and little chicks. He's got falcons and hawks. Like, out of context, that's such a terrible thing to do. But in the context of feeding a bird of prey, it's like, perfectly reasonable. Also, she was bringing up things that happened in his adolescence. When he was a little boy at school, he would tug and pull earthworms out of the soil. And now you're gonna trust him with the H. It's outrageous. Bobby Kennedy is the evolution of the MAGA movement into something beyond it. To see him address them senators and say, you took 1.5 million. You took 1.2 million from big pharma. One by one, he can point out that they are the recipients of donor money. But of course, dear old Bernie went into a sort of hard, hardback money. What came from diffuse sources. They were tiny donations from individual pharmacists, high street pharmacists, one at a time, like sort of claiming that it was somehow legit. Bobby Kennedy is the evolution, I reckon, Dave, of like, you know, you started this by saying that even us lot are all like in some way or another associated with the left. And one by one are either taken out by the left or leave the left. And all of us are, all of us surely think how come when Bobby Kennedy joined that movement, the legacy media didn't say, well, this can't be that crazy right wing confederate flag, hey, everybody, homophobic Trump movement that we're claiming is tiki torching its way to power. Because now this dude who takes on big corporations, who takes bold stands on pharmaceuticals, on autism, a man who by any merit is a kind of hero, even if that was just by the merit of his surname, when the legacy media didn't address that, that's when you know that they're kind of amplifying points that are relevant and ignoring points that would detract from their arguments.

[Dave Rubin]

Sage, I mean, as someone that stepped through the fire yourself career wise and everything else because of going through the COVID nonsense and BLM nonsense and everything, you had to deal with espn. I mean, you watch somebody like Bobby and then hearing what Russell just said right there, it's like, that's what we need more of. And somehow they've framed it that this guy is a conspiracy theorist. That was the phrase that they said more than anything else yesterday.

[Sage Steele]

Yeah, this, and this is what I was thinking while watching him the last couple of days. This is why people stay silent. This is why they just say, you know what? Forget it. This is why you don't come out of the closet when you're a Republican or a conservative and you're a member of the media. This is exactly why I think, and I know that it's tough, right, when somebody's been a lifelong Democrat, especially with the last name Kennedy of all last names. And then there's a switch. Like, I get why the family members would be upset, I understand that. But to choose to go to the levels that they have gone to, to try to crush him, I think it speaks volumes about them, the entire family, frankly, but also as a society. And I want to point out we talked about evolving Donald Trump has been at the forefront of that. And he even talked on Joe Rogan's podcast about how he has evolved and he has changed and he's doing things differently this time around. Right. With the type of people he chooses for the Cabinet, whether or not he vets them in a different way and doesn't stay as loyal to people. I think we've got to give people credit for evolving and changing and learning and acknowledging it. When RFK Jr. Came on my podcast last summer, he talked for 20 straight minutes about his heroin addiction and how that changed his life. The vulnerability to say, yes, I made these mistakes. I'm better now in whatever way, personally or as a politician. And one final thing, RFK is just like Donald Trump. He doesn't need this crap. Why Donald Trump? Rfk, They've got how many millions and billions in the bank they could be in their chateaus and the golf courses and all the different places. I believe, even though I don't agree with everything RFK says, it's Donald Trump either. But I believe the love of country for Bobby, the love of human beings and trying to make us healthier, that is what's leading here. Let's not forget it would have been easier and maybe smarter for them to just stay silent, but they have chosen not to, and we've got to commend them for that.

[Dave Rubin]

Let me ask you guys one other. I want to ask you the same question. We can hit kind of quickly before we move on on this, which is, I think the other part of this that was bothering me was just the lack of curiosity by everyone that was questioning him. Like, shouldn't you be a little curious what we did during COVID or why did we do some of these things, or what the vaccine schedule should be for kids, it's that it's not just like, oh, it's too easy to say, oh, you're just sold out, so you don't care. It's just like an intellectual lack of curiosity that really bothers me with these people.

[Jillian Michaels]

Gillian okay, I do think it's important to play devil's advocate here, because some of the things they throw at this guy sound insane. And if we're going to be honest, he's eccentric, and in some cases, he can be overly skeptical. But right now we have a system that says everything is safe until it's proven unsafe. He tends to err on it's unsafe until it's proven safe. And if I could simply use this example that I've used a million times before, and you saw Rand Paul, talking about it. This would be the hepatitis B vaccine. This is a perfect illustration of what Bobby Kennedy is talking about. And also, let me say, he has promised not to take away anyone's vaccines. Never once has he said he's going to do that. He is. For the MMR vaccine for measles. Yet they mentioned measles like 25 times. It didn't once mention type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer that is on the rise by 79% in people 18 to 49. Okay, now then, hepatitis B. This is a disease that is passed on through intravenous drug use and risky sex. They give this shot to a newborn baby. Okay. Is a newborn engaging in those behaviors?

[Sage Steele]

No.

[Jillian Michaels]

Okay, then why do it? Well, the mother could have hepatitis B. Can you test the mother for it before you vaccinate the child? Yes. Well, then why are you giving it to the baby still? Why is it on the schedule? Here's the answer. That's not science. It's a billion dollar business. When you get a vaccine on the schedule. And now that the drug companies, which are essentially criminal cartels, period, end of story, quite literally, they have paid billions out in fines for criminal offenses. When you give them no downstream consequences, do you actually trust them? And the last thing I'm gonna say on this, and this should really freak you out, is that when you look at this robust safety testing, let's look at hepatitis B. Okay. They monitored these kids. 434 doses of vaccines that they gave in three studies to 170, I think, three children. They monitored them for five days after each injection for adverse events. Does that sound like gold standard safety and research to you? I mean, Dave, it's so fricking outrageous. I could go on and on and on and on and on. I'm sorry, go ahead.

[Dave Rubin]

Well, to that point, Russell, can you address the curiosity thing? Because every, Every moment I've ever spent with you, no matter where we go, you're a curious guy. Everyone that we meet on the street, every restaurant we go to, you talk to everybody you love, people wondering about things. And then you hear these people asking these questions, and it's like, man, you just read that off of paper. There's just very little going on up here.

[Russell Brand]

There is no legitimate curiosity because it's a kind of fait accompli. Of course, I can't. None of us can, I suppose, predict the outcome of the confirmation vote itself. But the intention, you're right, shows a total lack of. Of curiosity. Even Jillian there is curious as to why you'd need to give babies inoculations against hep C or B, when it's mostly transferred through sex and drug use. It makes you wonder if some of these rumors about the parties that some of these elites attending are true. We've got to vaccinate these babies. Why? You're not going to have a human sacrifice at some point in the future and you criticize Bobby Kennedy for his baby mouse milkshakes, you hypocrite. There's no genuine curiosity, Dave. It's just a type of empty theater. It ain't dissimilar to the view. And like, when you apply, as you did, a legitimate sense of, well, why are you not, like, fascinated as to how Bobby Kennedy, years before anybody else was asking questions of Fauci, was saying, hey, watch out for Fauci. Look at his role in the HIV pandemic, or at least epidemic or outbreak. And also consider what Anthony Fauci's relationship is to pharmaceutical companies because of his various bureaucratic roles. And look at bioweapons research and MRNA research. Bobby Kennedy was asking those questions five years ago. It's akin to a democratic miracle that that man is poised to take power because if he's able to act in accordance with his principles, America will be transformed. And if he isn't able to, that shows you that there are entrenchment and resistant powers that go beyond the reach of electoral democracy.

[Sage Steele]

Hey, Dave, do you know what I was curious about yesterday? I was curious about Tulsi's comments and strategy down at the southern border as the Director of National Intelligence, potentially. I was curious about her thoughts on the terrorist attack in New Orleans. I'm heading to New Orleans in a couple of days for the Super Bowl. Tragically, the plane crash happened the night before I landed at that airport, 10 minutes prior to the tragic crash. I want to know what would her role be in something like that? It's all relevant as dni. So, yes, let's go hard on some of the Snowden questions, but I think for the overall American public, let's see what these nominees would do in these very real situations. There was none of that because they were just trying to create Internet moments and be sexy with their gun and then pile on. Let's just be more thorough. To me, it was very disappointing to not tee up. The most obvious issues that have affected our country have been and probably still will.

[Dave Rubin]

Yeah, well, you gave me a perfect segue to the. To the next portion here, which is this horrific crash. So a blackhawk. Everyone knows this already. Of Course, but a Blackhawk helicopter crashed into a commercial airline or over the Potomac river outside of DCA Airport. We're gonna get to that in one second. But first, Rumble Premium. As you guys know, the war against free speech is in full swing. Rumble, a leader in defending this fundamental human right, has taken a bold stand. Recently. They joined joined forces with X to sue a cartel of advertisers and ad agencies who conspired to block ad revenue from platforms like Rumble. Even Dunkin Donuts refused to advertise on Rumble, citing so called right wing culture. To push back and rally support, Rumble has launched Rumble Premium, an ad viewing experience packed with perks for both viewers and creators. By upgrading to Rumble Premium, you're not just enhancing your experience, you're adding actively supporting the fight for free speech. Now's the time to join the movement. Rumble's offering $10 off when you purchase an annual subscription. Just go to rumble.com premium rubin and use promo code Rubin. Like I said, if you have the means and believe in the cause, now's the time to act. And if you don't, we're just grateful to have you watching us right here on Rumble. All right, so let's take a look at two new angles of the plane crash, and then we'll get into some of the specifics.

[CNN Reporter]

These videos, obtained exclusively by cnn, show previously unseen angles of the collision between an American Airlines flight and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. In the first video, the Blackhawk can be seen flying at speed over the Potomac. From the left side of the screen, the American Airlines plane can be seen flying towards the airport before the two collide, causing a midair explosion and fall into the R. In the second video, you can see the army helicopter and American Airlines plane travel toward each other after the collision and subsequent explosion. The airliner can be seen spinning into the water, and the Black Hawk is also seen falling into the water.

[Dave Rubin]

All right, so it's beyond horrific. Obviously, there were no survivors. I think some version of the rescue still is going on. I have to say, guys, none of us are aviation experts here. We will find out more about this. My general policy on these things is I just retweeted one or two of the videos just to show people what happened, obviously. But then I kind of want to wait. I guess I do connect that to the curiosity question that I was asking before, because otherwise everyone just goes down these crazy rabbit holes. Gillian, you're sort of a master of not going down those things because you do your research, but what do you do in instances like this.

[Jillian Michaels]

I actually did do some research on it because if I, if I could push back on this one thing, I do not like throwing out DEI all the time. I think this is a mistake that the Republicans are engaging in and it's going to alienate people. Because every time there's a disaster, if you're like, ah, dei, then would Democrats hear is that you're saying a person of color or a gay person or a woman is responsible for this, and they push back. So I went down a rabbit hole to kind of find out what happened. We have no idea who the air traffic controller was. Nobody knows right now. It's a man. We can tell by the voice. Sounds like a white guy. Not to stereotype, but, you know, sounds a bit nasally, kind of like a white guy. No offense to everybody, but it doesn't sound like a brother, certainly not a woman and not a trans person. So saying dei, people automatically are going to think a person of color or somebody gay if it's an inclusion piece and it has to do with mental illness. I guess there was something that suggested, okay, yeah, you could have limitations with regard to your mental abilities. That is outrageous and should not happen. Obviously, the focus in cases where safety is involved should always absolutely be merit and not your orientation or the color of your skin or your gender. But there's no question that the air traffic controller was utterly incompetent. And if I could run down a few of the things that I ended up learning, number one, the air traffic controller should have given the helicopter very specific instructions. You know, drop down 1,000ft or very specific in the way that they communicate instructions, not, hey, just swoop around behind the back when the helicopter didn't answer the second time. They should have automatically established a connection between the American Airlines plane as well as the Black Hawk helicopter. We do know that they were understaffed. And this is a problem that's been going on for a long time. There should have been two people in the air traffic control room. There was only one. But there are just a host of things that could have and should have been differently by air traffic control. I think it's a mistake to blame it on dei. This is just a person that is frighteningly bad at their job and many people lost their lives because of it.

[Dave Rubin]

So interesting. I'm going to show you a video now of Trump talking about DEI as it relates to this, and I'm actually with him on the sort of meta version of this, which is, I don't know that this had anything to do with dei. And as you said, we don't know the person's skin color or sexual orientation or anything else. But over time, if you just hire people, which we know the government was doing, based on those attributes, you will degrade systems over time. That may not be applicable to this, but here's Trump on that.

[Donald Trump]

I do want to point out that various articles that appeared prior to my entering office, and here's one. The FAA's diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing. And then it says, FAA says people with severe disability. Disabilities are most underrepresented segment of the workforce. And they want them in. And they want them. They can be air traffic controllers. I don't think so. This was in January 14th. So that was a week before I entered office. They put a big push to put diversity into the FAA's program. The FAA, which is overseen by Secretary Pete Buttigieg. A real winner. That guy's a real winner. Do you know how badly everything's run since he's run this Department of Transportation? He's a disaster. He was a disaster as a mayor. He ran his city into the ground, and he's a disaster now. He's just got a good line of bull.

[Dave Rubin]

Wow, dropping the BS. Let me show you the image from the FAA's website, because this is true. We covered this about a year ago. They reiterated it about a week ago. But, yes, they were looking for people with significant psychiatric disorders, potential intellectual disabilities, speech impairment. I mean, it goes on. And developmental disability. Sage, look, we don't know. We do not know if that has anything to do with this. But I guess my only difference with what Gillian was saying was I. To me, it's always the right time to talk about this. Otherwise, it'll never be the right time to talk about it.

[Sage Steele]

Can we give it a week? Can we wait a minute? Can we wait until all the bodies are pulled up from the bottom of the Potomac River? There are still people, victims trapped in the fuselage. I think I heard this morning that the three people, servicemen in the Black Hawk are still. Are still underwater. I think that's where I struggle with it. Listen, the night that it happened again, I just landed in D.C. when this happened and was kind of shaken up because I'd heard the sirens when I was at baggage claim, and I thought, oh, my gosh, literally, it was right there. But I tweeted something about, gosh, the video. It's so strange. It looks like the chopper is, like, going right at him, following her, chasing the plane and even that it's like too soon, Sage. And I was like, okay, you're right, maybe I said so. So I think that's one thing, it's another to start blaming. What if the three helicopter, three guys in the helicopter are all white? Then what? Like, like do we do it?

[Jillian Michaels]

Exactly.

[Sage Steele]

So it's just too soon. And it makes me sad because.

[Jillian Michaels]

And it looks like using this opportunity to take political advantage. I think it's a mistake for that reason. I do see your point, Dave, but I'm with Sage and saying they should have waited, done a full investigation. And if it is, in fact, then you can point that out down the road. But right now I think it backfires. And what are the Republicans trying.

[Dave Rubin]

Yeah, let me. Russell, I want you to chime in on this cuz I don't, in principle, I don't disagree with you that there should be respect for the people that are mourning. And obviously if there are people that are still down there, we want to wait. The problem is we move so fast in the news cycle that by next week to start bringing this up as it pertains to this crash, we're on to 10 other stories. So it's sort of like it's a speed issue, I guess I would say. Russell, what do you think?

[Russell Brand]

It's extraordinary that in the event of something so plainly tragic, we're already discussing DEI and I have to wonder, would we be asking those questions if it was a White Hawk helicopter? Maybe not. Maybe we would even. Wouldn't even be asking those questions. It shows that there's such a total lack of trust in any event, that we're incapable of not politicizing it or seeing it as potentially being rendered inaccurately. So it's. I suppose, and you're right, if you don't immediately analyze it at a molecular level, you know, you've got 48 hours before the blizzard of the news cycle has roared onwards. So like I can see that there's almost a sort of a requirement that everything gets picked apart immediately in order to find some meaning or a deep, deeper demonstration of ineptitude. But when you actually watch an explosion happen and as Sage says, recognize that there are actual as yet unclaimed dead bodies, shows that we've got a very warped understanding of how we're even supposed to react to tragedy.

[Dave Rubin]

Yeah.

[Sage Steele]

The problem to me is that once you go there, like you are taking away, by saying, what if it's dei? You're taking away from the cases that actually are like, he's done an incredible job. And look at the colleges and universities and Walmart and McDonald's. Everybody's dropping these DEI policies as they should, dammit. And within the government as well. But we don't know yet when we find out. And if it was this, because that list of rules you put up there are goals for hiring is disgusting. If that's the case, he we will all crush them and deservedly so. But let's just wait to find the facts before we just guess because then we take away from the instances where we do need to attack them for this.

[Dave Rubin]

Right. Well, whether we all agree on it or not, clearly that wasn't what Trump and let me show you this video of JD Vance, who also spoke at the press conference, was talking about something.

[JD Vance]

The president said that I think bears re emphasizing, which is that when you don't have the best standards in who you're hiring, it means on the one hand, you're not getting the best people in government. But on the other hand, it means put stresses on the people who are already there. And I think that is a core part of what President Trump is going to bring and has already brought to Washington, D.C. is we want to hire the best people because we want the best people at air traffic control and we want to make sure we have enough people at air traffic control who are actually competent to do the job. If you go back to just some of the headlines over the past 10 years, you have many hundreds of people suing the government because they would like to be air traffic controllers, but they were turned away because of the color of their skin. That policy ends under Donald Trump's leadership because safety is the first priority of our aviation industry. Thank you, Mr. President.

[Dave Rubin]

All right. So I don't think we have to belabor the point about whether that was the right time to talk about it or not. But I would say I think we probably all at least agree on that. It's refreshing hearing the desire for competency again in government. Right?

[Sage Steele]

Yeah.

[Dave Rubin]

Right, Jillian?

[Jillian Michaels]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I 100% give you that one.

[Dave Rubin]

Yes, we're all agreed on that. Russell, are you agreed on competency in government? Can you deal with that?

[Russell Brand]

I'd like to query that. I say they stick with getting deliberately getting mentally ill people and schizophrenics in frenetic and difficult scenarios.

[Dave Rubin]

That's because you're a new immigrant to this country and you're just seeing the show for what it is we've been here for.

[Russell Brand]

And also I could benefit under that mental illness. I'll be doing air traffic control with ping pong bats. I mean, yeah, it seems to me that safety should be a priority in that area particularly.

[Dave Rubin]

Ah, now we know how you got asylum in the United States. All right, well, actually, let's just hit one more thing because obviously the real story since the Trump presidency has kicked in has been all about immigration. And then of course, Selena Gomez, which is the bigger, bigger than anything that we can possibly imagine. Let me read something from Forbes. Trump said he will sign an executive order instructing the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to construct a facility capable of holding 30,000 deported migrants at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. As immigration officials have made approximately 6,000 arrests since Trump took office, including about 1,000 on Wednesday, straining Homeland Security's network of detention facilities that were already nearing capacity before the Trump administration ramped up arrests. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it arrested 1,179 people on Monday, the largest figure since Trump took office, compared to 308 arrests on Trump's first full day in office and 282 arrests per day in September before Trump took over. Trump, at a conference for House Republicans in Miami, said he wants people who have been arrested many, many times to get the hell out of our country, suggesting he could pay foreign countries a small fee for them to maintain American prisoners so the US could cut spending on government owned and private prisons. The Trump administration is reportedly aiming to make examples of sanctuary cities which have policies not to cooperate with the federal government on immigration enforcement by conducting mass arrests there first. According to the Wall Street Journal, NBC lists Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Denver and D.C. as possible early targets. Cities with large immigration shelter systems, including Los Angeles, Denver and Miami are also targets, the Journal reported. Sage I mean, this is what he was elected to do and he's doing it. I know the media is not happy about it, but here we are.

[Sage Steele]

I don't care what the media thinks about it. It is absolutely the right reason. When so many people come after me and it's like, how can you support them? First and foremost, national security, which to me begins at the border. That is the most obvious answer right now. And listen, is it perfect? No, of course not. There's no way to make it perfect and satisfactory for everybody when there are between what, 10 and 20 million illegals here? Yes, you do your best to go after the most dangerous ones first, but this is what happens when you are so careless over the last four years. I say whatever it takes, whatever funds we need to spend, because inevitably it will still be less than the funding that it takes to Keep illegals here. And let me just remind you, illegal, illegally. Do we need to define this for people they are here illegally and taking away from others? Men, women, children, veterans, et cetera. Do whatever it takes. That is the reason why, Dave, I began my love affair with Donald Trump is because I knew that he was literally going to make us safer again. I don't care what the sanctuary cities say. And actually, if you look at that. And I'll be quiet after this. More and more, we're seeing videos of people, especially in the city of Chicago, and residents are saying, hell, no. Enough. You're giving money to them. What about us? What about our children? The schools are suffering. And the funding issues that go super deep right within the school districts, and they're not getting enough money unless they keep the enrollment numbers up. But everybody's taking their kids out. They're American citizens. How do they keep the numbers up? They bring illegal kids in there to continue to receive those funds.

[Jillian Michaels]

It goes so deep.

[Sage Steele]

I love what he's doing, and I'm a very empathetic person. You have to treat this as a business, and that is what he and his administration are doing.

[Dave Rubin]

Gillian, you're talking with three people who live in the free state of Florida, where we abide by laws. And we are not a sanctuary state. We have no sanctuary cities. Although there is a little bit of a fight right now between DeSantis and the legislature as far as how they're gonna do deportations. But that aside, you're in Los Angeles. It is a sanctuary city in a communist country. Go.

[Jillian Michaels]

Okay. I have so many different feelings about this, and I know a little bit about it. First, if we could just address Selena Gomez. She is open about having mental health issues. She is bipolar. It is clear that she is obviously in the middle of something that is far bigger for her than immigration and deportation. And if I could simply point out that Bill Clinton deported 12 million people, Obama deported 3 million people, and those were Obama's cages. Where's the outrage then? This is when I suggest that the left left me. The left was never the party for illegal immigration. I do believe in legal immigration, and I think that immigrants will help stimulate the workforce. And we have the baby boomer generation that is living for a really long time. It's a huge generation. All of these different social programs that are going to go bankrupt if we don't start having more bodies paying into them. There are people far more intelligent than me that explain why we need migrants. The key is they should be properly vetted and they should be supporting their host community in the way that they come in and the work that they do here, not draining, taking away from it. And last thing I'll say is that I had interviewed Brandon Judd, who ran the border, and he told me he thinks roughly 14 million people came in over the past four years. And if 1% of those 14 million are bad guys, you got 140,000 bad guys. And that's just not a risk we can take. So, again, I'm going to have to lean into what Sage is saying, that safety comes first. Putting the taxpaying American citizens first is imperative. And then once you've done that, you can circle back around and figure out how to facilitate legal migration so it serves the American people.

[Dave Rubin]

Russell, you come from a country across the pond that let in an awful lot of people and has a serious problem brewing at the moment. Are we just right behind you guys?

[Russell Brand]

When there's a mandate to control a border and then immediately and urgently border controls are implemented, that is an indication of a functioning democracy. It seems that that issue is only not prioritized when there isn't a political party that will significantly represent the interests of those who see border control and sovereignty as an issue. So in my country, we're on a kind of slightly different timeline in a parallel world where the judiciary is being subverted. But what is true is only the stories get amplified that are beneficial to the interests of the powerful. Because as, as Julian was just saying, migration figures were not. Or deportation figures or border controls weren't alarmingly different under Obama and Clinton. So I suppose, like all of us that have any kind of public profile have to be careful that we're just sort of not used like a kind of an instrument of emotion in this way that appears that Selena Gomez has been who sort of understandable feelings of compassion and outrage and pain can just be sort of amplified and utilized in order to tell a very particular story. Seems like, in a way, migration being acted upon on the basis of a mandate is generally positive.

[Dave Rubin]

I think that's a great point as it pertains to Selena and the overly emotive way we're all doing this. Let me. Let me show. Everyone's seen the video already, but let's throw the video real quick for a second.

[Jillian Michaels]

Just wanted to say that I'm so sorry. All my people are getting attacked. Children, they don't understand. I'm so sorry. I wish I could do something, but I can't. I don't know what to do. I'll try everything I Promise.

[Dave Rubin]

So of course everyone knows she deleted. Look at all of our faces as we're watching it. It's like kind of gross in some sense at this point point to show that again, because she deleted it. It turns out that her father, I guess, was Mexican who abandoned her. She's American. There's just a litany of stuff. And then the way the mob comes after everybody and everything else but Sage. I guess that's the challenge for all of us if we're gonna deal with this issue. It's gonna be messy at times, cuz they're gonna catch some people who aren't, let's say they might be illegals, but they are not doing criminal activity here in the States. And they've been here for a while. And families like this is gonna be tough. Like it's one thing right out of the gate, but it's going to lead to a whole bunch of other stuff.

[Sage Steele]

You know who she needs to be mad at? She needs to be mad at the former border czar, Kamala Harris. She needs to be mad at Joe Biden for allowing this to happen in the first place in a way that was not even good living conditions for these people who are coming to these sanctuary cities. We've all been there. New York City. I mean, I'm shocked at the change. And everybody is suffering, including the illegals. My issue, Ms. Selena and others who are acting like that. Acting. Did you cry? Did you make a social media post when that woman was burned on the New York City subway by an illegal?

[Dave Rubin]

Exactly.

[Sage Steele]

Did you say Lake and Riley's name?

[Dave Rubin]

Yep.

[Sage Steele]

The litany, the list of victims by these illegals is so long. And they're silent during those times. So once again, just like the senators on Capitol Hill, you lose your credibility when you pick and choose when you want to be enraged. And in particular by the way, you are here. Selena Gomez, you are now a billionaire. Because why? Because you are here in America, which has supported. We are the most welcoming country in the world and the most generous. Every person on this panel right now wants immigrants. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm alive. We must do it the right way. We have empathy, but there's too many to have enough empathy that I think we'd like to. It has to be treated as a business leading with kindness. I think the border security, the patrol agents do their absolute best. What a terrible task for them. But you cannot pick and choose when you're outraged. Selena Gomez.

[Dave Rubin]

Guys. I have to say. Go ahead, Julian.

[Jillian Michaels]

I Was gonna say that I also appreciate what a gift it is to be born here. And it is not a privilege I earned knowing that I worked with the United nations refugee agency. There's a lot, actually, that you can do. And I adopted a child from another country because I had this golden ticket of giving citizenship to this country. I did it the right way. It took me over two years. I am supporting that child and raising her to be an upstanding citizen that gives back to society. Again, case in point, doing this the right way. Nobody is immune to having empathy for the situation. We are all empathetic. But there are things that you can do. Then do them instead of getting on again. I hate to be a jerk, but it's like, I know that she has bipolar disorder. It's like, I wish there was something I can do. There's a lot you can do, dude.

[Russell Brand]

Do it.

[Sage Steele]

Sorry.

[Jillian Michaels]

I just promised myself I wasn't gonna be a bitch, and then here I am. But it just pisses me off because I know for a fact there's a lot you can do, and I've done it personally. And we're all for legal immigration. That is the key.

[Dave Rubin]

I will give the immigrant the final word on this topic.

[Russell Brand]

Just let me stay in your country. That's all I ask. Let me set up a camera. Please. Please. My forefathers came here. I'm just happy to be happy to be on the team. And let's recognize we all have to turn on our cameras before we express whatever we express. It's interesting, isn't it, how the theater sneaks into even the most authentic of exchanges?

[Sage Steele]

True.

[Dave Rubin]

I know. Without cameras, if we were all together, would we even be talking? We'd just be staring into the void. It would be very sad, I have to say. Guys, we're 59 minutes in. I was trying to get us to 60 minutes. It worked out perfectly, I think, for the millions of people who got dumber watching the View at this hour. We probably enlightened a couple other people that were watching what we do here. What do you three people with your amazing hair do over the weekend? Sage, you first. What's cooking this weekend?

[Sage Steele]

I am in Nashville, Tennessee, and Dave, you know, I. And I'm going to Kansas. It's a really long story. Kansas for a couple of days, and then I'm going to New Orleans for the super bowl on Monday. Listen, you like sports, Jillian? It's football. Do you know what super bowl is? It's football. Meet me there.

[Dave Rubin]

Yes. Yes. She must have several extra tickets to the Super Bowl. Meet her at the Super Bowl.

[Sage Steele]

Exactly.

[Jillian Michaels]

Do you have a sweet girl? I mean, I'll be there if that's the case.

[Dave Rubin]

What do you got this weekend, Jillian?

[Jillian Michaels]

I actually have a speaking engagement tomorrow in Los Angeles, which is why I am here again, all about women's health. It's called luminescence. So that's what I'm up to. And then trying to catch up on some sleep. But I have a feeling Russell is going to trump us all.

[Russell Brand]

Yeah.

[Dave Rubin]

What are you guys wrestling?

[Russell Brand]

As a Floridian, just living my best redneck Riviera life out in my ram longhorn, having cookouts, shooting, fishing. Just all American activities in the sweet name of old glory.

[Dave Rubin]

I tried to get Russell to move to Miami, and he said, no, no, I'm going to the other coast, the redneck Riviera. And I don't even know if you have electricity. I don't know how you even did this. It's incredible.

[Russell Brand]

We run everything on pure charisma out here, unlike you down there in Miami, running it on cocaine.

[Dave Rubin]

End program. Thank you, guys. Have a great weekend, everybody.