Loading summary
Transcript34 lines
- [00:00]
Alex Wagner
It's more than just a chant. It's a statement of priorities and principles. And like everybody was saying it and it went viral. What? What went viral? From Trump's UFC fight. An insult. A racist, horrible insult to the former first lady of the United States.
- [00:26]
Jane Coaston
I'm Jane Coston, and this is what a day. The show shouting out the New York Knicks for casting out the bad vibes of President Donald Trump to win its first NBA title in 53 years in San Antonio on Saturday. Naturally, everyone in New York kept it very chill, demure even. We just won the NBA Finals for the first time in 50 years.
- [00:49]
Unidentified Guest or Caller
Like this is insane.
- [00:52]
Jane Coaston
Mayor Zoran Mamdani announced that the victory parade will be on Thursday. In case you needed a New Yorker to do anything that day. Sorry. On today's show, we talk about Trump's UFC birthday spectacular with Alex Wagner, host of Crooked Media's Runaway Country. Before we get into all that, here's what we're following today. Monday, June 15th.
- [01:13]
Vice President Jody Vance
I think it's a great day for the American people because what this deal does fundamentally is two things. It immediately reopens the Straits of Hormuz, where already seeing in the past 24 hours more traffic flow. You see oil prices coming down, but you also have the long term commitment that Iran will never develop or procure a nuclear weapon.
- [01:31]
Jane Coaston
Well, this sounds familiar. Vice President Jody Vance spoke to CNBC today about the initial agreement reached between the US And Iran. The agreement would extend the shaky ceasefire and lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which we closed. Hooray for the Trump administration trying to fix a problem it created. Pakistan, which has been mediating, said the deal would be signed on Friday in Switzerland. But even if the Strait fully opens, then it will likely take months for the global energy crisis to ease. Still, significant challenges remain to ending the war, including whether Israel will continue its offensive in Lebanon.
- [02:06]
Unidentified Guest or Caller
I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle east right now.
- [02:09]
Jane Coaston
Trump started his visit to the Group A7 summit in France today by hailing his agreement aimed at ending the Iran war as a potential breakthrough for global security. He also made clear that he arrived with the wind at his back for talks with G7 leaders, including some who've been critical of how he's managed the war, which has led to a surge in global energy prices. Trump spoke while sitting next to French President Emmanuel Macron during a bilateral meeting.
- [02:33]
Unidentified Guest or Caller
The Iran deal that we made is going to bring a lot of success to the world because the oil was really clogged up there for a while. He would call me on occasion, say, come on, please, let's go. The oil prices.
- [02:46]
Jane Coaston
Unsurprisingly, Macron congratulated Trump on the agreement, saying it's important for world peace because Macron knows Trump loves peace. Ukraine officially started negotiations to join the European Union today, launching a process that will require its government to commit to years of political reforms even as it continues to fight a Russian invasion. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said a cathedral in one of Eastern Orthodox Christianity's most sacred landmarks was set ablaze early Monday as Russia bombarded Ukraine's biggest cities. Zelensky said at least 11 people were killed. The attack came after Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday. Leaders at the G7 summit are also set to discuss the war in Ukraine and talks tomorrow.
- [03:31]
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Thousands of parents say their children are addicted to social media. It can leave them trapped in a cycle of endless scrolling that displaces play, sleep and time with the family. It can harm their mental health. And frankly, parents need our support on this.
- [03:52]
Jane Coaston
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Britain will ban children under 16 from using a range of social media apps like Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. Ironically, he posted his announcement on Twitter. The ban, which is expected to take effect early next year, makes the UK part of a global movement to tighten online safety for children. Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have also introduced legislation or announced age based rules for children's access to social media. Now I'm thinking about a certain orange 80 year old who also might need to be barred from social media. And that's the news. Let's talk about Trump's big White House birthday bash. If you didn't tune in to Paramount to watch the UFC Freedom250 fight on the White House lawn because you had better things to do, here's what you missed. The fights were delayed an hour by terrible weather, and the winner of the heavyweight bout, who appeared to vomit during his weigh in, celebrated his victory by calling former first lady Michelle Obama a man. So yeah, it was pretty terrible and very Trumpian. In fact, the entire 250th celebration of America's founding has felt remarkably Trumpian, implying that the only way to be an American is to be a Trump supporter. Which isn't true, not even a little bit. So how can those of us who love this country but hate this bullshit respond? To find out I talked to Alex Wagner, host of Crooked Media's Runaway Country. Alex, welcome back to What a day.
- [05:18]
Alex Wagner
Oh, Jane, it's so great to see you on this 250th birthday of America.
- [05:24]
Jane Coaston
Speaking of which, yesterday the White house hosted the UFC Freedom250 fight. It was, in theory, for America's 250th anniversary, because America loves people getting kicked in the face. But we all know it was an 80th birthday celebration for Trump. Did you watch it? Because I did not. I watched six to seven hours of World cup soccer.
- [05:46]
Alex Wagner
As you should. I have a Paramount plus subscription. And I did not watch it because I, like everybody else who is still, I don't know, 10, tethered to a more equitable and peaceful existence, wanted to watch the World cup, the beautiful game, the game the rest of the world is watching. And it did not disappoint Jane. However, that did not mean the spectacle of Trump's birthday celebration did not reach the shores of my conscience.
- [06:13]
Jane Coaston
So there have been a lot of takes about this, because, of course there are. And what got me is that people acting as if, like, oh, you know, America, real America loves mma. Now, I've watched a number of fights. I've been a fan. Fine. There are so many more popular sports in the US like, so many more. I was suggesting to my producer, I'm like, you know, they could have done a baseball game, like a big American baseball game on the White House lawn. I think, like the grounds. I think it could have worked. What are your thoughts about this being the first pro sports event at the White House?
- [06:50]
Alex Wagner
Yes, it could have been baseball game, but Trump, by nature, first of all, he's a fight promoter. He always has been. He's the. You know, he is our Don King, and he has been one for decades. And it, I suppose, should surprise nobody that the kind of pastime he enjoys most is not a pastime of skill and artistry, but one of brute strength, blood and gore, and one that conveniently is a good promotional vehicle for cryptocurrency. Monster energy drinks, Ram Trucks and Bud Light. Bud Light. And maybe Monster Energy drinks could find a home at, you know, in the fourth inning of. Of a Nats baseball game. But cryptocurrency in particular seems very UFC adjacent, so maybe that's one of the reasons. But really, it's constitutionally. I think Trump is really interested in sports where people are hurt and bloodied and either win or lose. And that's it.
- [07:41]
Jane Coaston
We'll get back to my conversation with Alex in a moment, because our ground game is peerless. But if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads what a Day is brought to you by Fast Growing Trees. Did you know? Fast Growing Trees is America's largest and most trusted online nursery with thousands of trees and plants and over 2 million happy customers. They have all of the plants your yard or home needs, including fruit trees, privacy trees, flowering trees, shrubs and houseplants, all grown with care and guaranteed to arrive healthy. It's like your local nursery, but anywhere you live with more plants than you'll find anywhere else. Whatever you're looking for, Fast Growing Trees helps you find options that actually work for your climate, space and lifestyle. Fast Growing Trees makes it easy to get your dream yard. Just click, order, grow and get healthy, thriving plants delivered to your door. Their Alive and thrive guarantee promises that your plants arrive happy and healthy. No green thumb required, just quality plants you can count on. Plus get ongoing support from trained plant experts who can help you plan your landscape, choose the right plants and learn how to care for them every step of the way. My husband and I love giving gifts from Fast Growing Trees to our friends and family. It means so much to see those trees flourish and they always arrive happy and healthy. Right now they have great deals on spring planting essentials up to half off on select plants and listeners to our show get 20% off their first purchase when using the code WAD at checkout. That's an additional 20% off. Better plants and better growing at fastgrowingtrees.com using the code WAD at checkout fastgrowingtrees.com code WAD now is the perfect time to plant. Let's grow together. Use WAD to Save Today. Offer is valid for limited time. Terms and conditions may apply. This podcast is brought to you by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Everyone deserves access to high quality, affordable health care, no matter what. That's why millions of people rely on Planned Parenthood health centers for services like cancer screenings, wellness exams, birth control, STI tests, and more. In fact, one in three women in the US have been the Planned Parenthood for care. So it kind of blows my mind that lawmakers are trying to permanently shut them down. They already passed a law that blocks patients that use Medicaid from getting the affordable preventative care they need, and now they want to make that law permanent. No one benefits when people are getting fewer exams, paying more for care, or just skipping the health care they need. And we know that's happening. Planned Parenthood Health centers have reported that fewer patients are getting basic care, like breast exams and STI tests since the Trump administration and their backers defunded Planned Parenthood. Patients shouldn't suffer because of their loss. Our communities deserve better to get involved. Text update to 22422. Let's get back to my conversation with Alex Wagner. It feels as if also, the spectacle of the event seemed to overshadow the fact that for people I know and was reading about who watched the fights, they were like, the fights weren't very good.
- [10:37]
Alex Wagner
Yeah, well, I think that was kind of beside the point. The point was the cage. The point was the jets flying overhead. The point was the blood on the floor. The point was this kind of relentless jingoism styled as patriotism. The point was promotion. The point was to get a gim, you know, a freebie to the Ellisons. The point was corporate overindulgence. You know, it really was never about the actual physical artistry, if we can even use that phrase for our ufc, but it wasn't even about elite athletic performance. It's about brute strength and the most toxic displays of masculinity all rolled into some version of, like, I guess, celebrating America's 250th, but really servicing the malignant narcissism of Donald Trump. And by the way, to your point, owning, you know, giving a middle finger to anybody who feels outside of this, like, the sort of violent exclusion is also the point. And that's why one of the fighters got up there and ended his screed about his, I guess, faithfulness and his belief in Jesus by saying, also, Michelle Obama is a man. Like, that's. That's the, like, level of quote, unquote, patriotism that Donald Trump had on display. People desecrating the. The. I don't even know how to sort of really phrase this, but desecrating the reputation of a first lady who lived in that very same house with her daughters and husband.
- [12:01]
Jane Coaston
Yeah, And I think it's also telling that Dana White, the president of ufc, was like, this is an event for everybody. He wanted super bowl level numbers, but this event. And I think if. If I were a UFC fan, I'd be very concerned about this. The entire thing was like, this is just for Trump supporters. This was evidently for one group of people, one specific group of people. And it wasn't, you know, everyday Americans, because they probably don't have Paramount Plus.
- [12:33]
Vice President Jody Vance
Yes.
- [12:33]
Jane Coaston
It wasn't for a whole host of people who were either priced out of the event, who were just pushed Pushed out of being a part of this because. Not just because of the cost, but also because of the obvious politics.
- [12:50]
Alex Wagner
Well, it wasn't even a vote for Republicans. I think the polling, the Reuters Ipsos polling shows that like 31% of Republicans approved of this gruesome spectacle. On the White House grounds, it was incredibly exclusionary, but I also think made even more so by the Knicks win on Saturday and the World cup on Sunday, when you are really can feast your eyes and your heart on what America of today and the future looks like, which is a. A crowd of people that are economically diverse, racially diverse, politically diverse. A truly unifying moment. When you see people out in the streets of New York City where cops are celebrating with, you know, immigrants are celebrating, men and women, trans community, straight communities. It was literally a. For the. Honestly, I know it was a New York game, but it really felt like just an incredibly unifying thing to happen on the eve of such an exclusive and. And again, like, punitively exclusive event on the White House, which makes it so appalling. Right. It's the people's House. I mean, if anything should be bringing the country together in the context of America's semi sesquintennial. I think I got that right. It's something at the White House, but in fact. And by the way, the owner of the Knicks was at the White House, so we'll just set that aside for the moment. But like, you know, the NBA actually had a. Did a better job of celebrating America than this. The Trump White House and FIFA, riddled though it is with corruption and scandal and many other bad things. But the World cup also shows us what a diverse and unifying moment looks like. And it's a shame that, you know, our country has chosen to elect this man and this is how he's sort of taken the notion of patriotism and the celebration of the history and the rich heritage of this country and sort of degraded it to be an exercise in toxic white masculinity.
- [14:46]
Jane Coaston
Yes. As a wise sage once said, my mare still Muslim, my bagel still Jewish. The Pope's on our side. Nixon 5.
- [14:57]
Alex Wagner
I watched that six times. Six times, like, and one just over and over again. I will be writing about it on my substack. How the hell with Alex Wagner. I am very moved by that. In many ways, it's more than just a chant. It's a statement of priorities and principles. And, like, everybody was saying it and it went viral. What, what went viral? From Trump's UFC fight. An insult, a racist, horrible Insult to the former first lady of the United States. I'll take. I'll take the Knicks chant over that any fucking day.
- [15:29]
Jane Coaston
Yeah. And to your point, in a few weeks, America will celebrate its 250th birthday. All of America, the whole place, from Eugene, Oregon to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is for the whole country. But President Trump will celebrate with, as he put it on Truth Social quote, the most spectacular Trump rally of them all, a tribute to America, because he put it in quotes and so will I. I think that this is indicative of how we have. I mean, this has been the challenge, and this is something I've talked a lot about. I'm a very patriotic person. I love this country. I believe in this country. I have embraced, like, cool dad patriotism. I love a lot of, like, books about World War II and talking about tanks, and I believe that this country can be improved. But I believe that it is a wonderful place and that I love it very much. How can people who love this country and hate everything that's going on right now take this milestone back?
- [16:26]
Alex Wagner
Number one is do not cede the ground of patriotism to the toxic right. For sure. My mom made bumper stickers with the flag on them that said proud Democrat. And I am all about reappropriating the, you know, the signs and symbols of, not nationalism, but patriotism in a national sense. But I also think part of being a good citizen is civic engagement. So maybe that's a day of service, maybe that's protest, maybe that's writing something, maybe that's talking to your neighbor, but it is doing something specific and concrete to sort of re tether yourself, I think, to. To this country. And, and I think not giving up on democracy is all about making choices and making reinvestments in your. Your sort of like, we're given this moment in this extraordinary, you know, spin cycle of history. And I do think in large part about sort of planting quite literally a flag in the ground and saying, this is what America means to me and this is how I'm celebrating it. But to not let it go unmarked. I mean, I do, because I do think we need to remind each other what this country is all about. Because the guy at the top who's not notionally leading the country certainly is not interested in the presidency or the country in a sort of, in the biggest picture. He's interested in the power that you can accrue in the office of president. And so the job of, like, real patriotism falls to the citizens. And that's why I think it's it's about making a conscious decision to reclaim the symbols, to decide what kind of citizen you're going to be, and to engage with the democracy in a way that feels authentic and meaningful. And that's what I would suggest people do in and around the 250th celebration. Maybe again, like, maybe that's service, maybe that's debate, maybe that's protest. I don't know what it is, but do something.
- [18:16]
Jane Coaston
Yes, like the Japan fans in Texas. Maybe go get a steak, enjoy yourself.
- [18:22]
Alex Wagner
Totally have some apple pie in Seattle.
- [18:25]
Jane Coaston
Exactly.
- [18:26]
Alex Wagner
Go, go take a couple hours at, you know, a soup kitchen in Tallahassee. But like, there is a need for us to knit ourselves back to each other and reaffirm sort of shared humanity and shared citizenship, even if people don't have papers. And like, no better time to do it than in the shadow of Trump's monstrous 250th celebrations.
- [18:49]
Jane Coaston
Alex, as always, thank you for joining me.
- [18:51]
Alex Wagner
Dude, thanks for having me. I love going off about soccer and the Knicks.
- [18:56]
Jane Coaston
That was my conversation with Alex Wagner, host of Runaway Country. Before we go, the police tell us they are here to protect us, but what if their original purpose was something else altogether? Join Crooked Ideas in New York City for an immersive two hour walking tour through Lower Manhattan. Inspired by the award winning podcast Empire City, this on the ground storytelling experience takes you to real locations featured in the series exposing how power struggles, political forces and discriminatory policies shaped policing. Tours run monthly beginning Saturday, June 27th through Thanksgiving weekend. Tickets are just $10. Reserve your spot today at crookedideas.org empirecity that's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe. Leave a review Be glad you didn't bet a million dollars on Spain beating Cape Verde today and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about how Cape Verde, the smallest country by land to compete in this year's World cup, held Spain scoreless in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history. Like me, what a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe@cricket.com subscribe I'm Jane Coston and don't bet on sports. What a Day is a production of Cricket Media. Our show is produced by Caitlin Plummer, Emily Foer, Erica Morrison and Adrienne Hill. Our team includes Haley Jones, Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Joseph Dutra, Johanna Case and Desmond Taylor. Our music is by Kyle Murdoch and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.