The Anchormen Show with Matt Gaetz - Episode 93 LIVE： Committee Fireworks – Firebrand with Matt Gaetz

00:00:01.000 The embattled Congressman Matt Gaetz.

00:00:03.000 Matt Gaetz was one of the very few members in the entire Congress

00:00:06.000 who bothered to stand up against permanent Washington on behalf of his constituents.

00:00:10.000 Matt Gaetz right now, he's a problem for the Democratic Party.

00:00:13.000 He could cause a lot of hiccups in passing applause.

00:00:16.000 So we're going to keep running those stories to keep hurting him.

00:00:20.000 If you stand for the flag and kneel in prayer,

00:00:23.000 if you want to build America up and not burn her to the ground,

00:00:27.000 then welcome, my fellow patriots.

00:00:29.000 You are in the right place.

00:00:31.000 This is the movement for you.

00:00:33.000 You ever watch this guy on television?

00:00:35.000 Like a machine, Matt Gaetz.

00:00:38.000 I'm a canceled man in some corners of the internet.

00:00:41.000 Many days I'm a marked man in Congress, a wanted man by the deep state.

00:00:46.000 They aren't really coming for me.

00:00:48.000 They're coming for you.

00:00:50.000 I'm just in the way.

00:00:55.000 Welcome back to Firebrand.

00:00:57.000 We are live broadcasting out of room 2021 of the Rayburn House office building here on the Capitol complex in Washington, D.C.

00:01:04.000 And it was a very busy day in committees.

00:01:07.000 We had a key oversight committee hearing on the ATF, what they're doing to gun owners, how they are abusing their authority.

00:01:14.000 I can't wait to show you the exchange we had with one of the Democrat witnesses and those who are experts on things like the bracing rule,

00:01:22.000 where inadvertently a lot of Americans are about to be made felons by an unconstitutional, illegal action by an entity that, frankly, we should probably abolish altogether, the ATF.

00:01:35.000 So we're going to get to that.

00:01:36.000 Also, a big hearing on DEI in the military.

00:01:40.000 These diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are destroying our country.

00:01:46.000 They are destroying corporate boardrooms.

00:01:48.000 But where that pain is most intense and, frankly, most dangerous is in our military, where we need unit cohesion.

00:01:57.000 We need people working together.

00:01:58.000 Wait till you see what some of the leading officials, leading Biden administration officials are saying about DEI.

00:02:06.000 Also, Africa might not be the place in the world where you are most focused when it comes to foreign policy analysis.

00:02:15.000 But I had an exchange today with the leader of AFRICOM, a four-star general, and it was the most remarkable exchange I think I've ever had with a witness in my going on seven years in the United States Congress.

00:02:29.000 You are not going to want to miss it.

00:02:32.000 But first, we have got to talk about the White House name checking me today, throwing a little shade.

00:02:38.000 Statement from the White House, I'll read it for you.

00:02:41.000 Today, House Republicans who have called to abolish and defund federal law enforcement, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms,

00:02:48.000 are holding a political stunt as they undercut the ATF's work to keep our streets safe and reduce gun violence.

00:02:56.000 The latest stunt hearing comes as extreme MAGA members of the House Republican Caucus have proposed devastating cuts to law enforcement funding,

00:03:04.000 according to a blueprint released by the House Freedom Caucus, which would make communities less safe by...

00:03:10.000 Let's see if you agree with these things.

00:03:12.000 One, eliminating funding for 11,000 FBI personnel, including agents who investigate crimes and keep guns out of the hands of felons and domestic abusers.

00:03:22.000 Actually, what we're doing there is we've isolated the areas in the FBI where there is some of the most weaponization against gun owners.

00:03:30.000 And yeah, we don't think that being a gun owner is illegal.

00:03:33.000 Two, back to the Biden release today.

00:03:36.000 Forcing the ATF, which protects Americans from violent criminals, including firearms traffickers,

00:03:43.000 and assists in identifying perpetrators of mass shootings to implement a hiring freeze and furloughs that would undermine these operations.

00:03:50.000 Yeah, what do you think about a hiring freeze at the ATF?

00:03:54.000 We are $30 trillion in debt.

00:03:57.000 I would be for a federal hiring freeze on just about everything but DOD and VA.

00:04:02.000 And VA, you could convince me that there are certain things we need to be doing outside the walls of government rather than inside.

00:04:09.000 Three, cutting federal support to 60 local law enforcement agencies, eliminating 400 local law enforcement positions,

00:04:16.000 and slashing millions in law enforcement, crime prevention, and justice grants for state and local governments.

00:04:21.000 I am for law enforcement, but that is what our states are for constitutionally with the exercise of police power,

00:04:30.000 and that is what our local communities are for.

00:04:32.000 I do not need the federal government in Washington, D.C. hiring police in Northwest Florida.

00:04:39.000 We can actually do that ourselves.

00:04:41.000 And the more the federal government is involved in our education, in our law enforcement,

00:04:46.000 the more woke and weaponized it seems to get, actually.

00:04:50.000 So they go on to quote in this Biden memo,

00:04:53.000 Rep. Matt Gaetz, a member of the House Subcommittee on Crime, the federal government surveillance,

00:04:59.000 and co-hosting today's hearing says,

00:05:01.000 we either get this government back on our side or we defund and get rid of.

00:05:07.000 Abolish the FBI, the CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last one of them if they do not come to heel.

00:05:15.000 Now, would the Biden White House disagree with that?

00:05:18.000 Would the Biden White House disagree with the assessment that if we don't get government back on our side,

00:05:23.000 we shouldn't continue to flood these corrupt agencies with authorities, resources, cash, more personnel, more hiring?

00:05:33.000 I actually think that in a way it's a cell phone for the White House to cite me here because it's if they're saying they're happy fueling these entities,

00:05:44.000 even if they're not on the side of the people, which is what we are exposing each and every day.

00:05:50.000 So they seem to be really worked up over the ATF.

00:05:53.000 They cite different statements from Congressman Andy Biggs, who we've had on firebrand, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who we've had on firebrand.

00:06:02.000 It was Gates, Biggs, and Greene who got singled out, and we were doing the hard work today working to hold the ATF accountable.

00:06:11.000 We had a hearing on the ATF's authorities, their violations of those authorities.

00:06:16.000 So enjoy. This was from today's joint meeting with the House Oversight Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.

00:06:23.000 Play the clip.

00:06:25.000 The Nonpartisan Government Accountability Office issues a report in June of 2016.

00:06:31.000 Firearms data. The ATF did not always comply with the Appropriations Act restriction and should better adhere to its policies.

00:06:40.000 Mr. Wilcox, you're the witness the Democrats have invited here today. Are you familiar with that report?

00:06:46.000 I am.

00:06:47.000 And does the fact that the ATF broke the law concern you?

00:06:52.000 The report, I believe, supported ATF's action in cataloging records to stop crime.

00:06:57.000 I'll read from it. It says,

00:06:59.000 A technical defect allows ATF agents to access data, including purchaser data, beyond what ATF policy permits.

00:07:08.000 Do you take any umbrage with that conclusion?

00:07:10.000 ATF has been collecting out-of-business records pursuant to a law signed by Ronald Reagan.

00:07:15.000 And President Trump digitized more records than any other president.

00:07:18.000 I don't care who did it. I'm just worried about the impact on my citizens.

00:07:22.000 And I would acknowledge there may be Republican presidents who didn't do enough in the 80s to protect our gun rights.

00:07:28.000 But on this finding, the ATF had to delete 252 million records, didn't they?

00:07:35.000 So this is a tool that's helped solve 50% of crime crime cases.

00:07:39.000 Wait, wait, wait. Did they have to delete 252 million records?

00:07:42.000 What I know about this tool is that it's a crime fighting tool.

00:07:44.000 That's what I'm asking you. Did they have to delete, you said you're aware of the report.

00:07:47.000 Is that conclusion correct? They had to delete 252 million records.

00:07:50.000 I'm not aware of that line, but what I'm aware of is the tool, the crime fighting tool.

00:07:54.000 I'll represent to you that that's what had to happen.

00:07:56.000 The fact that the government collected 252 million records that was beyond the law, beyond policy,

00:08:03.000 never approved according not to me, not to my fellow Republicans, but to the GAO.

00:08:08.000 Should that be concerning to us, that scope of records being collected?

00:08:12.000 ATF's collection of out-of-business records was fully complying with the law.

00:08:16.000 That's not what the GAO said, so you disagree with the GAO report.

00:08:19.000 Well, there's two points they made. One is the collection of out-of-business paper records that FFLs keep.

00:08:24.000 The second piece was the collection of electronic records that FFLs keep.

00:08:28.000 And what the GAO said was the electronic records were not being converted sufficiently.

00:08:32.000 And that's what ATF fixed to become in compliance with the law.

00:08:36.000 Because they had gone beyond their authority. You see, that's the concern of my constituents.

00:08:40.000 When they go beyond their authority, and you may find those things virtuous, but no one elected you.

00:08:45.000 They elected us to make the laws, and when we make the laws and they don't follow them, then people's rights get diminished.

00:08:50.000 Another area is this issue of the arm braces.

00:08:54.000 Now, in Mr. Wilcox's testimony, he says that an arm brace makes a weapon more powerful.

00:08:59.000 Mr. Bosco, you know a lot about arm braces, don't you?

00:09:02.000 I do.

00:09:03.000 Do arm braces make firearms more powerful?

00:09:06.000 They do not. They do not.

00:09:08.000 Does it concern you that the witness that the Democrats brought would make such a claim that is obviously disproven by any utilization of those arm braces?

00:09:18.000 I hope that my testimony today can help everyone here understand that the brace does nothing to make the weapon any more dangerous than it already is.

00:09:29.000 And so when you've got the ATF going beyond their authority, collecting 252 million records that they have to destroy, well, that can just be explained because they're doing their best.

00:09:39.000 But when Americans get inadvertently converted to felons because the ATF has exceeded their authority, there is no such grace for them as their miswear.

00:09:50.000 That would seem to be the case under the recent policy change to zero tolerance.

00:09:55.000 Zero tolerance for our fellow Americans when they're trying to exercise their rights and protect their liberties.

00:10:00.000 But all the tolerance in the world for a corrupt bureaucracy that is violating the law, exceeding their authority and collecting records that they have no business collecting.

00:10:10.000 I would make this final observation.

00:10:12.000 I had the great privilege to spend two years on the House Judiciary Committee with the gentlelady from Missouri.

00:10:17.000 And while she and I disagree strongly on this issue, her beliefs are sincere and they are strong and they are powerful, particularly when she expresses them.

00:10:26.000 And so when she says to people that she wants to defund the police, she means it.

00:10:32.000 And when she says in this committee meeting that gun violence is a public health emergency, well, she means that too. 1.00

00:10:40.000 And our fellow Americans know the impact of folks up here in Washington declaring everything and anything a public health emergency.

00:10:49.000 It means you're more likely to be locked in your homes, deprived of your freedoms, less healthy, less safe, less secure, and less able to live a truly American life.

00:10:59.000 So know this, when the left talks about this as a public health emergency, get ready to see those enhanced authorities abused by the ATF.

00:11:08.000 And, Mr. Chairman, it is my sincere hope that in the very near future we will have those very folks from the ATF here.

00:11:16.000 And I intend to be utilizing the new rules that we have in the House of Representatives to offer amendments to the Appropriations Act to zero out their salaries for breaking the law and abusing the liberties of our fellow Americans.

00:11:31.000 We are back live. A lot of action on the live stream. Sean Kelly pointing out the double standard on Getter that exists when Americans have any type of technical violation of some rule obscurely published.

00:11:45.000 There is zero tolerance from the ATF. They come after us. But then when they break the law, oh, they want more authorities, more people.

00:11:53.260 And the White House slams me and Andy Biggs and Marjorie Taylor Greene when we propose that maybe in some places we ought to have hiring freezes and furloughs.

00:12:01.740 A. Greg, also on Getter, saying the ATF is out of control. I agree with that. And let me make some news.

00:12:06.720 I spoke with some of our committee leadership today. And in April, next month, we plan to have the leadership of ATF before the committee.

00:12:17.660 And that is when we are going to start identifying the very bureaucrats whose salaries we will seek to zero out in the budgeting process.

00:12:25.360 So in April, ATF leadership coming in a big part of the Republican oversight plan.

00:12:30.480 I want to thank my Walton County constituent who just gave us a shout out on Rumble and said that we have the best law enforcement in Northwest Florida.

00:12:37.760 I could not agree more with that assessment. But whether it's law enforcement or society at large or our military,

00:12:44.740 we are seeing these DEI initiatives divide people and erode the meritocracy that is central to American life.

00:12:53.600 No matter where you come from, no matter what you believe, the essence of the American capitalist system and political system and social system is that if people do well, they will be able to move up.

00:13:06.060 And as leaders, we ought to be getting rid of the things that bar people's path to success.

00:13:12.080 No matter what their color is, no matter what their background is, people should have a right to follow the rules and achieve more and do better.

00:13:20.000 And I believe that these DEI initiatives, diversity, equity, inclusion, they are often used to stovepipe people into being an oppressor or oppressed,

00:13:33.060 into being privileged or frail or unworthy or unwilling or unable.

00:13:39.840 And it is also deeply racist at its core.

00:13:43.100 And yet, the military, the Department of Defense, has been embracing these DEI initiatives in their hiring, in their promotions.

00:13:52.680 You would think the military would be a place that we would actually want the meritocracy to drive the success of the mission.

00:14:02.320 You wouldn't want to leave whether or not America is the preeminent military force in the world to a DEI seminar.

00:14:09.460 But wait till you see the folks that we are leaving it to, the people who've worked in the DEI leadership,

00:14:18.660 people who are senior officials in the Biden administration, testifying today about DEI and the military.

00:14:25.980 This gets pretty hot.

00:14:27.560 Play the clip.

00:14:28.300 We'll talk about it.

00:14:30.940 I would like to go back to the tweets of the racist person that works for you.

00:14:35.780 What does caudacity mean?

00:14:38.420 I have no idea, Congressman.

00:14:39.980 You took six months to investigate one tweet.

00:14:42.440 You didn't even figure out what the words meant?

00:14:43.960 I didn't investigate the thing.

00:14:45.440 She's a DOD. 0.87

00:14:46.440 Well, you said in the Fox News article that you were going to take 30 days and investigate, and it took you six months.

00:14:51.840 In a six-month investigation, you guys didn't learn what caudacity meant?

00:14:56.500 I think you know.

00:14:57.680 I think every person that's going to watch this exchange knows you know.

00:15:00.600 It's – she's trying to lash audaciousness with someone being Caucasian, isn't she? 0.99

00:15:05.800 I have no idea, Congressman.

00:15:07.300 Wow.

00:15:07.660 What an investigation.

00:15:08.880 Well, I did not – I will say I did not do the investigation.

00:15:12.780 She is a GS employee that's employed by Dodia.

00:15:16.500 Dodia conducted the investigation.

00:15:18.480 Gosh, the Pentagon told Fox News Digital that Gil Cisneros would provide a final decision in 30 days.

00:15:25.780 So they gave – so someone at the Pentagon is throwing your name out there as being responsible for this, 0.80

00:15:31.120 and now it looks foolish that you're suggesting you don't know what that means.

00:15:34.840 Well, I would say –

00:15:35.880 That quote did not come from me, but I don't know who that came from.

00:15:37.720 Let's go to this, Mr. Cisneros.

00:15:39.220 What's a PD session?

00:15:45.840 My guess would be personal development.

00:15:48.520 Personal development.

00:15:49.340 You don't think it's professional development?

00:15:52.100 Another open matter for the investigation that it didn't resolve.

00:15:55.360 So you don't know what caudacity means.

00:15:57.160 She's obviously talking about professional development there.

00:16:00.140 And, like, when she says I had to stop – or let's go to the next claim. 0.97

00:16:04.880 The caudacity to say that black people can be racist too. 0.94

00:16:08.760 Mr. Cisneros, can black people be racist too? 0.94

00:16:12.060 I've already stated, Congressman, that I didn't agree with her statements.

00:16:15.520 But I'm asking about that provision.

00:16:17.020 Can black people be racist?

00:16:19.800 This question is about me or my personal beliefs.

00:16:23.020 But, again, I don't –

00:16:23.940 You're the leading official over DEI.

00:16:26.100 I don't agree.

00:16:26.540 A racist person who works for you puts out these tweets, and you won't say whether you agree or disagree.

00:16:31.360 I told you.

00:16:31.880 Mr. Chairman, I just want to remind members to observe standards of decorum.

00:16:35.160 This is decorum.

00:16:35.980 It's my time. 0.99

00:16:36.820 Can black people be racist? 0.98

00:16:38.180 I do not agree with that tweet. 0.73

00:16:40.380 Do you agree with that statement?

00:16:41.420 I'm asking you a statement.

00:16:42.380 Can black people be racist?

00:16:43.640 I'm not going to answer that, Congressman. 0.88

00:16:45.100 Why not?

00:16:45.920 Because it's – you're asking me a personal opinion, and that's not what this is about.

00:16:49.000 Well, actually, I'm asking you in your capacity as a senior DOD official in the Biden administration who is – where we see recruiting falling off the table, whether or not the embrace of racist tweets, whether shuffling these people around rather than firing them, and whether this little exchange here is helping or hurting recruiting.

00:17:07.200 Let's go ahead and put up the recording.

00:17:08.140 I will tell you, we do not support racist tweets.

00:17:11.000 We do not support racism in the military.

00:17:12.220 Well, did you fire this lady? 1.00

00:17:14.080 Again –

00:17:14.800 You hired her.

00:17:15.480 As I stated – I did not hire her.

00:17:17.720 As she was –

00:17:17.920 You hired her.

00:17:18.560 As it was stated earlier, she's a DoDEA employee.

00:17:21.900 She's a GS employee.

00:17:23.820 The inquiry that was done said these tweets were done on a personal matter.

00:17:29.100 Oh, a personal matter.

00:17:30.220 How do you know it's a personal matter if you don't know that the PD can stand for professional development?

00:17:35.100 Mr. Cisneros, this is a professional development session where she attacked white colleagues and took the position that black people can't be racist.

00:17:43.140 Now, you can't answer basic questions about it, and here's what I would propose to you.

00:17:46.420 This is what we're looking at in recruiting right now.

00:17:49.700 It's fallen off the table, and when you have employees that you don't fire who do racist things and say racist things,

00:17:58.800 then you really hurt the ability to recruit people who want to be part of an inclusive and diverse force.

00:18:06.520 I would say the data that we have is not – the recruiting is not falling off because of that,

00:18:12.200 but again, the Department of Defense, DoDEA, does not agree with the tweets that she made.

00:18:16.660 It was at 3 o'clock during the workday.

00:18:18.860 You didn't fire her.

00:18:19.960 If someone puts out racist things, do you fire them or do you just move them around?

00:18:23.780 That was not an unofficial – that was not an unofficial – that's her own personal Twitter account.

00:18:28.780 See, here's the problem with the double standard, Mr. Cisneros.

00:18:31.220 When Caucasian members of the military post about the Second Amendment or supporting building the wall, 0.79

00:18:39.380 you all seem to be on a white supremacy snipe hunt.

00:18:42.220 You seem to take people's personal views and weaponize them against them.

00:18:45.500 And I've had people in my district who serve that wonder whether or not some joke that they forwarded

00:18:50.680 or meme that they liked is going to result in the ruining of their careers.

00:18:54.180 But you have no such interest when it's a person like this.

00:18:58.460 You delayed the investigation.

00:19:00.260 Your own name was what DOD put out as conducting the investigation.

00:19:04.260 You delayed it.

00:19:04.740 This lady makes like $160,000 a year. 1.00

00:19:07.520 Do you really think today the taxpayers should be paying this lady that amount of money? 0.93

00:19:11.060 The investigation was not conducted by me.

00:19:14.340 That was never –

00:19:15.100 Well, why did the Pentagon say it was you?

00:19:16.600 I don't know who the Pentagon in that said that, but I will tell you it was a misstatement.

00:19:20.540 Mr. Chairman, I seek to enter –

00:19:22.380 The investigation was conducted by Dodia because she's a Dodia employee.

00:19:25.340 Well, if you just fired racist people, then maybe you wouldn't have to go through this.

00:19:29.540 But, Mr. Chairman, I have a series of unanimous consent requests.

00:19:31.600 Without objection.

00:19:32.380 So, first is Pentagon drags out decision after probe into woke diversity chief accused of anti-white people's tweets.

00:19:39.180 The second is wing selected as DODEA chief of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and that is from DODEA.edu.

00:19:49.720 The next is everybody can be racist.

00:19:52.580 DOD chief diversity educator defends tweets targeted toward white educators.

00:19:57.460 With objections so ordered, the gentleman's time has expired.

00:20:01.360 I yield five minutes to Representative Houlihan.

00:20:05.960 I think that everyone can be racist.

00:20:08.820 And everyone can be the victim of racism.

00:20:11.320 And we should oppose racism in all of its forms.

00:20:14.540 And we should embrace what Martin Luther King Jr. put out.

00:20:17.800 That we have to judge each other not by the color of people's skin, but on the content of character.

00:20:23.520 But that's not what DEI seeks to do.

00:20:26.280 It's all about judging based on the color of one's skin.

00:20:29.960 And that's what I think we effectively exposed there.

00:20:32.840 A lot of comments on the live stream.

00:20:34.400 Richard on YouTube says that I look like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.

00:20:38.460 I don't even know if that is a compliment or not.

00:20:41.440 I actually think among the Wizard of Oz characters, the Tin Man was probably among the more handsome.

00:20:46.680 And he had the best heart, right?

00:20:49.160 He didn't have a heart, but he really had a heart.

00:20:51.180 That was the deal with the Tin Man.

00:20:53.420 What's the deal with AFRICOM?

00:20:54.920 So, when we look at how our military has its force structure around the globe, there are different areas that fall under the commander of some of our most senior generals.

00:21:06.400 And the leader of AFRICOM is General Langley, who you're about to see me question.

00:21:11.900 Now, you may be wondering, what's the U.S. interest in Africa?

00:21:15.960 What's our goal?

00:21:16.940 How do we measure our objectives?

00:21:18.420 One of the things that we principally do is we send folks out to train and equip the militaries of other countries.

00:21:26.220 And I've had a number of constituents, actually a number of friends, who have been stationed at bases in northwest Florida,

00:21:32.940 and they end up in Niger, or they end up in Somalia, or they end up in some place where really failed states seem to dominate over stable governmental institutions.

00:21:47.820 And when we go and participate in the train and equip missions, what we tell ourselves to justify the intense cost in human life, remember in 2017,

00:21:59.740 we had service members killed in action in Niger, also in dollars, the treasure of our country.

00:22:06.700 Is it being used wisely in Africa? 0.95

00:22:09.860 So, today, this four-star general, General Langley, comes to testify before the House Armed Services Committee,

00:22:14.440 and I had questions for him about the train and equip missions that my constituents are on,

00:22:19.860 and whether or not they are contributing to insurrections and coups.

00:22:24.460 This is truly the most remarkable five minutes I think I have ever had with a witness.

00:22:31.620 There were moments when I almost couldn't continue.

00:22:34.940 I was so stunned by the responses.

00:22:36.340 Take a listen.

00:22:36.820 Just ballpark, in the last decade, how many Africans has the United States military trained and equipped?

00:22:48.000 Congressman, I don't have that figure. I can get that figure for you.

00:22:50.600 Ballpark, just, you know, how many?

00:22:54.460 Congressman, it would be a wild guess.

00:22:56.920 Seems like something we should know, right?

00:22:58.180 Over the years, we have trained a substantial number, especially in the Gulf of Guinea states.

00:23:09.120 But, and including...

00:23:10.020 Like more than 10,000?

00:23:11.400 It is more than 10,000.

00:23:12.700 More than 50,000?

00:23:14.040 I'd say we're reaching around 50,000, at least.

00:23:17.540 And what percentage of the people we've trained end up participating in insurrections or coups against their own government?

00:23:24.440 Very small number, Congressman.

00:23:28.440 Very small number.

00:23:29.160 So, what percentage do you think?

00:23:30.540 I'd say probably less than 1%.

00:23:33.560 But it does happen, right?

00:23:34.860 The IMEC program is in force, and we've pushed a number, a significant number through our schools across the military.

00:23:43.460 And what data sets do you track to arrive at the conclusion that less than 1% of the roughly 50,000 that we've trained have participated in coups?

00:23:51.500 Because it would be like about 500, about 1% of 50,000.

00:23:57.700 Congressman, you may have that information.

00:23:59.380 I don't at this time, but I know...

00:24:00.660 Well, I know there are some, right?

00:24:01.780 Like in...

00:24:02.560 Go ahead and throw up that image. 0.96

00:24:05.000 This is Colonel Mamadei Dambuya, and this is a photo of him.

00:24:10.840 Did we train and equip him?

00:24:14.780 In Guinea?

00:24:16.460 By name, I cannot identify that.

00:24:18.560 Well, that guy in the middle with the big red hat, Colonel Mamadei Dambuya, that's him with a bunch of U.S. service members outside of our embassy.

00:24:26.900 And just months after this photo was taken in 2021, he led a coup in Guinea and threw out the leader.

00:24:35.320 Does that concern you?

00:24:37.080 Congressman, core values is what we start off with in IMA programs.

00:24:42.620 Do we share core values with Colonel Dambuya?

00:24:45.040 Core values.

00:24:45.720 I will repeat that.

00:24:47.160 Core values, respect for her and maddening.

00:24:48.780 Do we share those values with Colonel Dambuya?

00:24:51.260 Absolutely.

00:24:51.880 In our curriculum.

00:24:53.280 He led a coup?

00:24:53.820 We do.

00:24:55.120 Okay.

00:24:55.940 That's a very telling answer.

00:24:57.800 In Burkina Faso, did we share core values with the leader that we trained there who led a coup?

00:25:06.120 It's in our curriculum.

00:25:08.120 We stress core values.

00:25:09.200 Leading coups are in our curriculum?

00:25:09.640 We request civilian-led governance.

00:25:12.260 Wait, wait, wait.

00:25:12.740 Hold on, hold on, hold on.

00:25:13.460 Is leading coups in our curriculum?

00:25:16.920 Absolutely not.

00:25:18.180 Civilian-led.

00:25:19.480 Civilian-led.

00:25:20.320 My question is, do we share core values with the coup leader in Burkina Faso who we trained?

00:25:27.100 Holistically, we teach core values with respect for civilian governance, apolitical, and that's what sticks across a very high percentage in the 90, over 99 percentile.

00:25:44.000 But not everybody, and I wonder how many people it takes to plan a coup.

00:25:48.940 I mean, initially, you didn't know how many we trained and equipped.

00:25:51.420 Then you said it was 1 percent.

00:25:53.260 You had no basis for that 1 percent number because there's no data set you tracked.

00:25:57.000 Mr. Chairman, I seek unanimous consent to enter into the record another U.S.-trained soldier stages a coup in West Africa by the intercept.

00:26:05.060 Without objection, so ordered.

00:26:06.020 And I further seek unanimous consent to enter into the record U.S. forces trained the Guinean colonel behind the recent coup in West African country, and this is regard to Guinea.

00:26:15.040 Without objection, so ordered.

00:26:16.140 So I guess the question is, why should U.S. taxpayers be paying to train people who then lead coups in Africa? 0.57

00:26:29.240 Congressman, our curriculum harvests its core values and also to be able to embolden these countries for a representative democracy.

00:26:44.500 But, General, that democracy isn't what emerges.

00:26:47.920 The problem is, I know you may have great confidence in what you're teaching, but when two governments have been overthrown, I guess, how many governments have to be overthrown by people we train before you sort of get the message that our core values might not be sticking with everyone?

00:27:05.040 Is it five countries?

00:27:07.000 Ten?

00:27:07.300 We'll continue with our persistence in assuring that they harbor democratic norms, democratic values, and apolitical.

00:27:17.300 Just a moment ago, you said we shared core values with Colonel Dembuya.

00:27:21.780 You said that just moments ago in response to my question, and his core value seems to be leading a coup.

00:27:27.220 So I don't think it stuck.

00:27:28.560 I think we should at least know how many countries we train the coup plotters in.

00:27:33.200 How many is too many?

00:27:34.700 Because clearly two is not too many, and I think we could use our resources far more effectively than doing this.

00:27:42.100 So we're back live.

00:27:44.400 That is not some low-level person in our military. 0.66

00:27:49.360 This is a four-star general that was just providing those inept responses.

00:27:54.720 This is General Langley.

00:27:55.580 He is in charge of every U.S. service member on the continent of Africa.

00:28:00.480 He makes major contributions at the table with other senior defense leaders regarding our strategy and our tactics,

00:28:08.880 and he could not answer the most basic questions about whether or not the work we were doing in Africa actually works against our stated interests.

00:28:17.880 But if you just keep stating core values long enough, maybe you can keep moving up the ladder.

00:28:23.400 Wild.

00:28:23.880 But Africa isn't the place where we're wasting the most money.

00:28:28.280 That place is, of course, Ukraine.

00:28:31.220 There was a moment in Congress today that I think really encapsulated the non-answer from the Biden administration

00:28:37.880 that we're getting regarding some of the most frivolous spending that is going on in Ukraine.

00:28:42.800 As I have stated, our country has nearly $1.5 trillion in unfunded pension liability.

00:28:49.640 The squeeze on pensions in the United States is ever the more exacerbated by some of the banking challenges that we've seen.

00:28:58.560 When you raise interest rates dramatically, pension funds that are overinvested in long-term government bonds ultimately get squeezed.

00:29:07.780 And that has real-life consequences for teachers and firefighters and police.

00:29:12.700 But this government, the Biden administration, is actually paying for pensions in Ukraine.

00:29:21.120 A point that Congressman Tim Burchett made in the House Foreign Affairs Committee today.

00:29:26.160 Take a listen.

00:29:26.720 Are there U.S.-sanctioned personnel in Ukraine?

00:29:31.940 If so, why are they receiving our tax dollars?

00:29:34.680 I'm sorry, U.S.-sanctioned personnel?

00:29:36.800 Yes, sir.

00:29:37.180 In Ukraine?

00:29:37.940 I'm not aware of that.

00:29:39.400 I welcome any information you have.

00:29:40.600 Okay.

00:29:41.020 Four billion U.S.-tax dollars have gone to Ukrainian pensions.

00:29:44.700 How is that any shape, form, or fashion justifiable?

00:29:47.800 The program, Congressman of Assistance to Ukraine, has on the ground right now in our embassy about 47 personnel responsible solely for oversight.

00:29:58.580 We just had a report by the inspector general's office looking at the oversight of the taxpayers' funds in Ukraine.

00:30:06.740 The report was very positive in terms of the processes that are in place and the work that's being done to make sure that money is being spent appropriately as well as wisely.

00:30:15.320 At the same time, we have in place a process.

00:30:19.820 For example, much of the funding that we provide, the taxpayers provide, to Ukraine goes through a World Bank program that only disperses money upon receipts for authorized expenditures.

00:30:30.720 And we have third-party validators, to include Deloitte, which is working directly with the Ministry of Finance.

00:30:37.920 I appreciate all that, but when we can't fund Medicare and then we're funding Ukrainian pensions, I really think our priorities are out of whack. 0.85

00:30:45.320 Well, yeah, Congressman Birchett has a point there.

00:30:51.280 And it's so telling the way Blinken just avoids answering the question there.

00:30:56.380 The question was, why is it part of our stated policy to fund these pensions?

00:31:01.240 And then Blinken's answer as well, we're making sure that we're not funding things outside of our stated policy.

00:31:06.440 The problem is the underlying premise that American taxpayers ought to be underwriting Ukrainian pensions is deeply America-last.

00:31:15.360 Thank you all so much for joining today.

00:31:17.540 As you can see, it was a wild one on Capitol Hill.

00:31:20.700 We want to make sure you're as informed as possible in real time so that you can have contact with your members of Congress,

00:31:26.880 so that your voice can be heard, so that you can work with us to engage the Senate and the administration on important things that will help our fellow Americans lead better lives.

00:31:35.660 And so you have a homework assignment, make sure you are subscribed, make sure that you have our notifications turned on,

00:31:42.080 and do what you can to share this episode, share this content so that we can reveal some of the deepest, darkest things that are going on in this swamp

00:31:50.100 and so that we can get America going back on the right track.

00:31:53.720 Thanks again. Love having you on Firebrand. Roll the credits.

00:32:05.660 We'll see you next time.

The Anchormen Show with Matt Gaetz - March 23, 2023

Episode 93 LIVE： Committee Fireworks – Firebrand with Matt Gaetz

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