While LA Burns, Trump Fuels The Disinformation Fire

Summary

Podcast Summary: What A Day – "While LA Burns, Trump Fuels The Disinformation Fire"

Release Date: January 10, 2025
Host: Jane Coaston, Crooked Media

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1. Introduction: Setting the Stage

Jane Coaston opens the episode by highlighting two significant news events:

• Trump Sentencing Day: The former President Donald Trump faces sentencing in his hush money case.
• Underreported Gaza Death Toll: A new report indicates that the Palestinian death toll in Gaza has been significantly underreported.

She swiftly transitions to the primary focus of the episode—the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles—and the rampant misinformation surrounding them.

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2. The Devastating Wildfires in Los Angeles

Wildfire Overview:

• Palisades and Eaton Fires: Began on Tuesday, January 8th.
• Destruction: Over 9,000 structures damaged or destroyed, spanning nearly 30,000 acres.
• Evacuations: Tens of thousands under evacuation orders due to advancing flames fueled by Santa Ana winds.
• Affected Areas: Including densely populated regions like Burbank and Hollywood.

Impact on Residents: Jane shares her personal experience, having evacuated her home amidst the chaos. She emphasizes the prevalence of misinformation online during crises, which can exacerbate fear and confusion.

Notable Quotes:

• Jane Coaston [00:02]: “...a time when good information is so critical to whether people like me stay in our actual homes or pack our go bags and get out of the city, there is not nearly enough actual information and way too much, well, bullshit.”

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3. Combating Misinformation: Conversation with Scott Waldman

To address the spread of false narratives, Jane engages in a detailed discussion with Scott Waldman, a White House reporter focused on climate change at POLITICO's E News.

a. Debunking False Claims

Claim 1: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policies Caused the Fires

• Jane [00:02]: “...some bullshit. While blame and bullshit like that the fires were caused by diversity, equity and inclusion policies...”
• Scott Waldman [02:10]: Dismisses the claim, explaining there's no connection between DEI policies and wildfire management.

Claim 2: Governor Gavin Newsom is Blocking Water Flow

• Jane [02:31]: “...Governor Newsom is keeping water from flowing from Northern California into Southern California.”
• Scott Waldman [02:31]: Clarifies that Trump refers to the Sacramento Delta's water flow, which aims to protect the endangered smelt fish, benefiting northern agricultural interests, not the reservoirs for firefighting.

Claim 3: FEMA is Out of Funds

• Jane [03:08]: “Trump keeps saying that Biden is leaving him no money in FEMA.”
• Scott Waldman [03:08]: Confirms FEMA is fully funded until September 30 and is prepared to handle current disasters. Any additional funds required will be addressed through Congressional appropriations.

b. The Politicization of Natural Disasters

• Jane [04:16]: Expresses frustration over conspiracy theories linking disasters to political agendas or malicious intent.
• Scott Waldman [04:28]: Attributes the rise of such theories to the current social media landscape and Trump's history of using disasters to attack political opponents. Highlights the complexity of climate-fueled fires, stating that sometimes natural events overwhelm firefighting resources.

c. Potential Federal Aid Manipulation

• Jane [05:38]: Questions whether Trump could reverse Biden's order to cover fire costs for 180 days and use it to punish California officials.
• Scott Waldman [05:55]: Notes Trump’s history of delaying aid for political motives, citing his 2018 actions during wildfires in Orange County. He discusses the likelihood of Congressional intervention preventing such politicization, despite Trump’s threats.

Notable Quotes:

• Scott Waldman [04:16]: “This is the age we live in...Trump is like, he is with a lot of things. Just an accelerant on this, on this fire...”
• Scott Waldman [07:51]: “It puts tremendous strain. And again, this is the cost of climate change...”

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4. The Broader Implications of Climate Change on Infrastructure

Strain on Infrastructure and Resources: Scott emphasizes that the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters are direct consequences of climate change, which severely strains both federal and state infrastructures.

Future Preparedness: He advocates for proactive measures such as:

• Better Forest Management: Implementing controlled burns to reduce wildfire risks.
• Inland Flooding Solutions: Upgrading city infrastructure to handle excessive water flow.
• Conservative Collaboration: Framing infrastructure improvements as cost-saving measures in the long run to garner bipartisan support.

Notable Quotes:

• Scott Waldman [09:19]: “Look at la. It's not totally wrong. It's certainly not wrong to say that better forest management would help the area...”

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5. News Headlines: Key Updates

a. Elon Musk and Doge Initiative

• Goal Adjustment: Musk admits that the initial aim to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget via the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) is unrealistic. The new target is $1 trillion.
• Notable Quote [13:07]:
  Elon Musk [13:07]: “If we can drop the budget deficit from 2 trillion to 1 trillion and kind of free up the economy to... then there will be no inflation.”

b. Gaza War and Ceasefire Efforts

• Death Toll: Over 46,000 Palestinians reported dead, with more than half being women and children.
• Ceasefire Proposal: A potential agreement includes a six to eight-week fighting pause, the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages, and increased humanitarian aid.
• Diplomatic Efforts: Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasizes the proximity of a ceasefire before Trump's inauguration.

c. Title IX Ruling in Kentucky

• Decision: A federal judge strikes down the Biden administration's expanded Title IX protections for LGBTQ students, deeming them beyond presidential authority.
• Political Ramifications: 26 Republican-led states have paused these protections amidst ongoing legal challenges.

d. TikTok Ban Contemplation

• Supreme Court Hearing: The Court is set to decide on a potential ban of TikTok unless ByteDance severs ties with the app by January 19.
• Arguments: The Biden administration cites national security risks, while Trump seeks a negotiated resolution. ByteDance defends the app's ownership and security.

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6. Deep Dive: Election Legitimacy and Judicial Independence in North Carolina

Case Overview:

• Justice Allison Riggs' Reelection: Defeated Republican Jefferson Griffin by fewer than a thousand votes.
• Griffin’s Lawsuit: Claims 60,000 ballots lacked proper identification, a statement without substantial evidence.
• Legal Proceedings: The case, initially directed to federal courts, was sent to the North Carolina Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority.

Conversation with Justice Allison Riggs:

a. Addressing Voter Fraud Allegations

• Jane [19:48]: Asks Riggs about Griffin’s evidence contesting 60,000 votes.
• Justice Riggs [19:59]: Explains Griffin's reliance on incomplete voter registration data lacking Social Security or driver’s license numbers. She provides a personal example, stating her father's use of a military ID for voting.

Notable Quotes:

• Justice Allison Riggs [20:56]: “This isn't about me. This is about the voters. Will I was a civil rights attorney...`
• Justice Allison Riggs [21:09]: “...these voters did everything that was asked for them...”

b. Implications for Democracy and the Judiciary

• Rigs’ Concerns: Emphasizes the threat to democratic integrity and judicial independence when election results are unjustly challenged.

c. Potential Outcomes and Broader Impact

• Jane [22:14]: Inquires about the duration of the legal battle if appeals court decisions are delayed.
• Justice Riggs [22:26]: Acknowledges uncertainty but stresses her commitment to upholding constitutional duties and the importance of respecting election outcomes.

Broader Implications: Justice Riggs warns that the case could set a precedent allowing elected officials to challenge election results without evidence, thereby destabilizing democratic processes nationwide.

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7. Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Jane wraps up the episode by highlighting a fundraiser organized by Vote Save America Action and Crooked Ideas to support disaster relief efforts. She urges listeners to donate to aid groups like World Central Kitchen and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, especially amidst the wildfire crisis.

Final Quotes:

• Jane Coaston [23:56]: “That was my conversation with North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs...”

She also acknowledges Josie Duffy Rice for her contributions and reminds listeners to subscribe, leave reviews, and stay informed through the show's nightly newsletter.

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Conclusion

In this episode of What A Day, Jane Coaston effectively navigates through the intertwined crises of wildfires in Los Angeles and the political machinations exacerbating misinformation. Through insightful conversations with experts like Scott Waldman and direct dialogues with figures like Justice Allison Riggs, the show provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the current socio-political landscape. The episode underscores the critical need for accurate information, judicial independence, and proactive climate change mitigation to navigate the challenges of today's world.

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Notable Timestamped Quotes:

• Jane Coaston [00:02]: “...a time when good information is so critical to whether people like me stay in our actual homes or pack our go bags and get out of the city, there is not nearly enough actual information and way too much, well, bullshit.”
• Scott Waldman [02:31]: “That’s not true... pumping water for firefighting.”
• Scott Waldman [04:16]: “This is the age we live in...Trump is like, he is with a lot of things. Just an accelerant on this, on this fire...”
• Justice Allison Riggs [20:56]: “This isn't about me. This is about the voters...”

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Listeners are encouraged to follow the podcast on their preferred platforms and engage with additional resources provided in the show notes for a deeper dive into these pressing issues.

Transcript

[Jane Coston]

It's Friday, January 10th. I'm Jane Coston, and this is what A Day, the show that is proudly based in the beautiful city of Los Angeles, California. And, dang it, that's the way it's staying on today's show. It's Trump sentencing day, and a new report says that the death toll in Gaza has been gravely underreported. Let's get into it. The Palisades and Eaton fires that began on Tuesday have become some of the most destructive and likely most expensive wildfires in American history. As of our recording time on Thursday Evening, more than 9,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed between the two, and the fires are still raging. And because of the Santa Ana winds, fires have ignited in other parts of Los Angeles county, including dense places in and around the city like Burbank and Hollywood, where our studio is located and where I live. Altogether, tens of thousands of people have been under evacuation orders as fires have hit nearly 30,000 acres of land. And like anyone would in the midst of a giant, terrifying crisis in which you can see flames jutting out just a few miles away from where your house is. I spent a lot of yesterday checking news online, which was a mistake because alongside some legitimate information, I saw a lot of bullshit. While blame and bullshit like that the fires were caused by diversity, equity and inclusion policies because this would have never happened if more white CIS men were involved or something. Or that, as Trump said on Truth Social, this is all Governor Gavin Newsom's fault for not opening a pipeline from Northern California into Southern California that doesn't exist. Or a viral claim that LA Mayor Karen Bass transferred millions of dollars reserved for fighting fires to either unhoused people if you're right wing, or to the LAPD if you're left wing. Neither are true. At a time when good information is so critical to whether people like me stay in our actual homes or pack our go bags and get out of the city, there is not nearly enough actual information and way too much, well, bullshit. So to debunk some of these claims and talk about the politics of these fires, I spoke with Scott Waldman. He's a White House reporter focused on climate change at POLITICO's E News. We'll link to his reporting in our show notes. Scott, welcome to what a Day.

[Scott Waldman]

Thanks for having me.

[Jane Coston]

Now, as someone who is currently in West Hollywood in Los Angeles, it would be so helpful if you could just debunk some of the claims we've been hearing from the right. Let's start with this claim that Trump keeps Making that Governor Newsom is keeping water from flowing from Northern California into Southern California. What is he talking about?

[Scott Waldman]

Well, that's not true. And he's talking about something he's sort of harped on for years, which is basically blocking a river from flowing to the sea from the Sacramento Delta there to protect this fish called the smelt. It's an endangered species, but that mostly would benefit agriculture interests further north. That would have nothing to do with the reservoirs needed to, you know, fuel the water supply that's being used to fight these fires right now.

[Jane Coston]

And what about the idea that FEMA is out of money? Trump also keeps saying that Biden is leaving him no money in female.

[Scott Waldman]

FEMA is fully funded until the end of the fiscal year, which for the government is September 30. Now, there could be challenges to that if we have a really bad hurricane season, but of course that doesn't start until the summer, so that's quite a while away. But for right now, FEMA is fully funded and ready to handle this. This the consequences of these fires. If there's additional money needed, Congress can step in and appropriate money for the long term recovery. So it's not true that Biden is leaving Trump essentially an empty treasure chest of FEMA fund.

[Jane Coston]

Why do you think these kinds of disasters have become ripe for politicized conspiracy theorizing? I mean, it seems like literally, you know, I left my home last night to get away from the smoke from a fire that was further north. And as I am doing that, as I'm in the car on my way out, I am seeing on my phone people basically blaming this on DEI or saying that people are setting fires. Or then you see kind of left leaning conspiracy theorists being like, oh, this is because they took all the money from the firefighters and gave it to the cops. Like, nobody's giving me any actual information and everybody's just making shit up. Why?

[Scott Waldman]

This is like the age we live in. This is increasing with social media, obviously. And Trump is like, he is with a lot of things. Just an accelerant on this, on this fire, I just use that phrase.

[Jane Coston]

It's okay.

[Scott Waldman]

But Trump has fanned these flames going back to Hurricane Haileen and the way it impacted North Carolina in particular. It's a very easy way to attack your political opponents. After any sort of natural disaster, there's always angry people who feel, you know, short shrift, like they've been sort of ripped off by the government or not fully protected or not helped in the right way by the government. So it's an easy way to attack political opponents and blame them for what's happening. But of course, the truth is way more nuanced here. We'll see. These fires are still ongoing. You know how much blame the politicians in California deserve for this. But for right now, we don't know exactly what they could have done in terms of water resources because this is a climate fueled fire. This is something that, you know, some of the first responders here have said there's nothing you can really do about it. It's so intense, it's moving so fast thanks to the Santa Ana winds, and it whipped up so quickly in so many different spots that there's really, you have to almost stand back in some areas and let it burn rather than try to get in there and fight it because you just end up wasting water, essentially and your limited resources fighting against something that can't even be controlled at some points.

[Jane Coston]

Biden did say that the federal government will cover 100% of the cost of the fires for 180 days, but Trump will oversee the distribution of that aid. Could he reverse that order? And what happens if he were to deny California disaster relief as he's threatened to do because he hates Gavin Newsom?

[Scott Waldman]

Well, he already has done it in his first term. He's delayed aid. He didn't actually totally withhold it. But I reported earlier this summer, two Trump White House aides told me this on the record, that Trump was delaying aid for a different wildfire back in 2018 around Orange county and only changed his mind after he saw voter registration data. He's promising to do this again to Newsom with sort of this excuse about these water rights. But really it's a way for him to punish his political enemies. You know, he views California as a Democrat controlled state and he seems willing to use the federal government to go after it.

[Jane Coston]

But could he reverse Biden's order about covering the cost for 180 days or condition it on lawmakers here doing what he wants with regard to, say, migrant detention?

[Scott Waldman]

He could, absolutely. And there's, you know, what mechanism is there to block him? Congress? Well, if he doesn't have the votes there to go against him, it, he might, he could still block it. I think it's, it's worth noting too, though, that members of Congress in the Senate and the House both know, you know, you might have some of the most conservative members, like Senator Rick Scott from Florida. He knows that if you politicize aid and response aid, that what's going to happen to Florida, which needs aid every year after hurricane season. So I think lawmakers, even though they may make a lot of noise right now, they may be more hesitant to jump into the fray and actually try to, you know, cut off aid to California. They may make a lot of noise right now, but we'll see when, if there's a vote that comes down to appropriating more aid, if it's needed, we'll see how they act in that time.

[Jane Coston]

Now, we don't know the full scale of the damage, because right now you can't really go to some of the places that have been hardest hit. But it's fair to say it's going to be huge and it's going to be very, very, very expensive. And it's just the latest in the series of catastrophic natural disasters that have hit the country. What kind of strain does this put on our infrastructure and federal and state dollars?

[Scott Waldman]

It puts tremendous strain. And again, this is the cost of climate change, which really, you know, a lot of politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, tend to talk about climate change like it's something we have to prepare for that's happening in the future. You right now have climate change on your front doorstep, quite literally. Some people have lost their homes. You know, a friend texted me to say that his elderly parents home burned down and they had to flee, you know, with. With only the clothes on their back because they lived in la. They're climate refug. Now this is happening. You know, it's like we're all filming this or we're watching videos of this, of other people filming themselves fleeing these kind of scenes. And then all of a sudden those videos eventually will be us taking them of our own homes or our own, our family's homes. So we need to prepare for the infrastructure. Now. It's already way past due to handle this. You know, this also includes inland flooding that puts a lot of pressure on pipes and, and stuff like that in every city. So there's a lot that needs to be done here. And, you know, a lot of politicians don't want to get involved in it because it's not sexy to spend money on infrastructure.

[Jane Coston]

Well, if we could make it sexy, what are the constructive conversations we need to be having right now? Because it's not about, is this climate change? Is it not climate change? It's about, like, what do we do? What should we be doing? How should we be preparing? How should we be talking about vegetation and brush? How should we be talking about building regulations? How should we be talking about how this got here? Because you can't really do anything about 100 mile per hour winds, but it seems like there's a lot we could be doing.

[Scott Waldman]

Yeah, just look at, look at la. It's not totally wrong. It's certainly not wrong to say that better forest management would help the area. Now that doesn't mean going and logging everywhere. But there's been plenty of studies on this that shows forest management is part of this. So control burns, things like that are a way to cut down on that risk. When we talk about other infrastructure threats from climate change, look at like east coast of the United States, States where sea level is hitting much harder. You look at somewhere like Norfolk, Virginia where we have our naval fleet. You know, there's nuclear subs going in and out of there. Well, if you'd like those to be threatened, you know, then don't do anything about it. When it comes to these ever increasingly worse storms, but certainly building higher sea walls to protect Norfolk and to protect your naval installation, there is one way to get conservatives on board with some of these ideas. You know, there's also a lot of waste where if you don't prepare for something today, you spend five times on it. The future. And unfortunately the future is not 100 years away. The future could be five, 10 years away. It could be tomorrow in some of these cases, as people in LA are finding out the hard way.

[Jane Coston]

Scott, thank you so much for joining me.

[Scott Waldman]

Thanks for having me.

[Jane Coston]

That was my conversation with Scott Waldman. He's a White House reporter focused on climate change at POLITICO's E News. We'll link to his reporting in our show notes. We'll get to more of the news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe. Leave a five star review on 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 Zebiotics Pre Alcohol. Let's face it, after a night of cocktails that I love, I don't bounce back the next day like I used to. I have to make a choice. I can either have an amazing night or a great next day. That is until I found pre alcohol Zebiotics Pre Alcohol Probiotic Drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Here's how it works. When you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut. It's this byproduct, not dehydration, that's to blame for your rough next day. Pre alcohol produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down. Just remember to make pre alcohol your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly and you'll feel your best tomorrow. I know that before our holiday party, Zebiotics were everywhere. And I'm pretty sure based on how much fun we had that night and how good a day we had the next day, it worked. Go to zebiotics.com wad to learn more and get 15% off your first order when you use code WAD at checkout. Zebiotics is backed with a 100% money back guarantee, so if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked. Remember to head to zbiotics.com waud and use the code WAD at checkout for.

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[Jane Coston]

And now more news Head of Lines.

[Elon Musk]

I think, I think we'll try for 2 trillion. I think that's like the best case outcome.

[Jane Coston]

It sounds like billionaire Elon Musk is admitting that Doge is all bark and no bite, because on Wednesday, the tech CEO said his goal of cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget might actually be hard to do. Musk initially promised a massive cut when President elect Donald Trump tapped him to co lead the Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge for short, and tackle government spending. But in a live streamed interview on Twitter, the social media platform Musk owns, the billionaire admitted that he and his co leader Vivek Ramaswamy are now shooting for just $1 trillion in budget cuts.

[Elon Musk]

If we can drop the budget deficit from 2 trillion to 1 trillion and kind of free up the economy to, you know, have additional growth such that the output of goods and services, it keeps pace with the increase in the money supply. Then there will be no inflation. So that I think would be an epic outcome.

[Jane Coston]

Epic. Come on, dude, you're like 55. Come on. Experts have said that Musk's initial goal to cut $2 trillion in federal spending is nowhere near realistic. Never mind that Doge won't have any power over the national budget anyway because remember, it's a non governmental entity. The Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday that the Palestinian death toll in the war torn enclave has surpassed 46,000 people. Officials say that more than half of the dead are women and children. Israel and Hamas are reportedly moving closer to a ceasefire deal that would bring an end to the war that has spanned 15 months. The proposal that's currently on the table includes a fighting pause for six to eight weeks while Israel releases Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages. The deal would also require Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, aid that has been blocked from the region for months. But Hamas officials say they aren't sure which of the Israeli hostages are still alive amid the heavy fighting in the region. The Israeli military said it found one hostage dead earlier this week in southern Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that both sides are very close to an agreement. Blinken and his fellow diplomats hope to reach a deal before President elect Donald Trump assumes office. A federal judge in Kentucky struck down the Biden administration's Title IX rules that expanded protections for LGBTQ students, U.S. district Judge Danny Reeves ruled Thursday the protections overstepped the president's authority. Reeves said the legislation was fatally tainted with legal shortcomings. 26 Republican states had already paused the protections after a slew of legal challenges. Donald Trump also previously vowed to end the rules. Day One Title IX is a 1972 law that prohibits discrimination based on sex and education. The protections last year were expanded to also prevent discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. But as civil rights activists called it a step forward, conservatives were angered, arguing the rules could be misused to protect trans athletes in girls sports because that would be terrible to them. The clock is ticking as the countdown to TikTok's possible ban in the US gets closer. The Supreme Court is weighing arguments Friday over whether to delay or overturn the federal law that would force TikTok to be removed from US app stores by January 19 unless its China based parent company ByteDance, cuts ties with the app. The legislation was passed by bipartisan majorities in Congress and signed into law by President Biden in April, the Biden administration argued, quote, no one could seriously dispute that China's control of TikTok through ByteDance represent represents a grave threat to national security. But Trump, who previously supported a TikTok ban, seems to have changed his tune. In a filing last month, Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause the deadline so he can reach a, quote, negotiated resolution to save the app. ByteDance, which is headquartered in Beijing, denies it's a national security risk. TikTok CEO Shou Xu addressed those concerns before Congress in 2023 and said that 60% of the company is owned by global investors.

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[Jane Coston]

ByteDance argues the law violates the free speech of the 170 million Americans it claims use TikTok every month. TikTok says it will shut down the site in the US by the January 19 deadline unless the Supreme Court rules in its favor.

[Justice Allison Riggs]

So I read it and I thought.

[Jane Coston]

It was a fair decision actually. So I'll do my little thing tomorrow. They can have fun with their political opponents. And last but not least, after many attempts to postpone, President elect Donald Trump is set to be sentenced in his hush money case. It comes after a divided Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Trump's last ditch request to block the proceedings in a 5, 4 decision. In May, a jury of his peers found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with hush money paid to a porn actress during the 2016 election. Justice Juan Merchan, who presided over the trial, has previously said he doesn't plan on sentencing Trump to jail time, but the sentencing will enshrine Trump as the first former president or president elect with a criminal conviction. And that's the news. One more thing. Meet North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs. She's a Democrat who won her bid for reelection back in November. She defeated her Republican challenger, Jefferson Griffin, by a slim margin, less than a thousand votes. The state selection board was set to certify her win today, but the entire process has been postponed because Griffin has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that he lost because of mass voter fraud. Sound familiar? Griffin claims that 60,000 ballots in the race must be thrown out without providing any real evidence. The matter was supposed to be decided in federal court, but a Trump appointed federal judge sent the case to North Carolina Supreme Court. You know, the one that Riggs is currently serving on? The high court's conservative supermajority voted to block officials from certifying Riggs win while they consider Griffin's claims. The state's elections board has asked the federal appeals court to send the case back to federal courts. If the federal appeals court sides with Griffin, the state's Supreme Court could kick Riggs off the court. And their decision could open the door for any elected official or political candidate to challenge the results of an election they lost. So our losers rule the day. I guess so. To talk about the broader implications of this case, I called up Justice Riggs herself. Here's our conversation. Justice Riggs, welcome to what a day.

[Justice Allison Riggs]

Thank you for having me.

[Jane Coston]

What evidence does your opponent, Republican Jefferson Griffin, have to contest 60,000 votes, including your parents? How is he trying to justify this campaign to get you off the court?

[Justice Allison Riggs]

So he is using data that would suggest that these voters voter registration file, so in a big electronic database, doesn't have their Social Security number or their driver's license number. One, we know that's not true for some of them. You can imagine big databases, not always perfect in the outputs. But also, you know, my dad registered to vote with his military ID. He served his country for 30 years. Military IDs don't have driver's licenses or Social Security numbers on them. So ultimately, we believe that this is an issue of there are questions of federal law that need to be resolved and promptly, and it should be a federal court that resolves them.

[Jane Coston]

Have we ever seen anything like this before? A state Supreme Court considering whether a member of that court should be a member of that court based on what sounds like completely unverified accusations of voter fraud?

[Justice Allison Riggs]

Not to my knowledge. But I think the important thing to remember is that these voters did everything that was asked for them. They didn't fail in any way, shape or form. They followed the rules that were in effect at the time of the election. And my opponent is trying to retroactively change the rules so he can engineer his preferred outcome. We need this issue to end. This election was well run, and its results confirm what we all knew. North Carolina is a purple state. Trump won this state. I kept my seat. There was a mix of Democrats and Republicans who won. North Carolina voters are ballot splitters, and there is just no reason for this to persist. And in fact, calling into question the legitimacy of elections when you don't like the outcome is incredibly damaging to our democracy and certainly to the independence of the judiciary.

[Jane Coston]

You filed a motion asking the appeals court to issue a decision by Feb. 11, when the state Supreme Court's term is set to begin. If your request is denied, how long could this legal battle be drawn out.

[Justice Allison Riggs]

The truth is I don't know the answer to that. My opponent has called into question my service right now on the court. I sign orders every single day. I am doing the job. And starting on February 11, we'll be sitting for two weeks of oral arguments. The potential disruption for the normal functioning of our judiciary is huge. What I know is this. I am a constitutional officer. I put my hand on a Bible and swore to uphold our state and federal constitutions. I consider it part of the oath I took to make sure that our elections results are respected and that the people who are elected are serving in that role. That's what voters want me to keep serving in this role. This isn't about me. This is about the voters. Will I was a civil rights attorney for a long time before I joined the bench. I've represented folks who have been disenfranchised. And I know that North Carolina has been used as testing grounds before for different tools to undermine voting strength of marginalized groups of voters writ large. And I worry for the health and functioning of our democracy across the country based on what happens here in this race.

[Jane Coston]

Justice Riggs, thank you so much for joining me.

[Justice Allison Riggs]

Thank you so much.

[Jane Coston]

That was my conversation with North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs. Before we go. To support disaster relief efforts, Vote Save America Action and Crooked Ideas have set up a fundraiser to help on the ground groups including World Central Kitchen, Los Angeles Regional Food bank and more. With wildfires forcing over 180,000 people to evacuate and thick smoke blanketing the metro area, these groups are providing critical aid to those who need it most. You can make a donation [e-mail] relief that's votesaveamerica.com R E L I E F We'll also put a link in the show notes. That's all for today. I want to thank the spectacular Josie Duffy Rice for filling in for me yesterday.

[Justice Allison Riggs]

She's an icon, she's a legend, and.

[Jane Coston]

She is the moment. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, make sure you know where your important documents are and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading, I'm not just about how to prepare for disaster. Because, buddy, disasters do not care where you live or how you vote or how cute your house is. Like me, what a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coston and stay safe. Angelenos Water Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Raven Yamamoto and Emily Foer. Our producer is Michelle Aloy. We had production help today from Johanna Case, Joseph Dutra, Greg Walters and Julia Claire. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison and our executive producer is Adrienne Hill. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka.

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