Verdict with Ted Cruz - January 04, 2023


Wild & Woolly Speaker Drama


Episode Stats

Misogynist Sentences

7

Hate Speech Sentences

7


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.560 Guaranteed human.
00:00:04.960 Welcome. It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz.
00:00:07.480 Ben Ferguson with you.
00:00:08.660 Senator, what a way to go back to Washington
00:00:11.360 to bring people up to date on what's happened.
00:00:14.300 20 House Republicans have voted for someone
00:00:17.480 other than Kevin McCarthy.
00:00:19.300 There were multiple votes that were held.
00:00:21.680 They've decided to basically end it until noon on Wednesday.
00:00:27.460 Some people said, well, that's just because
00:00:29.000 there's a lot of family members in town.
00:00:30.700 I think the world was spinning for Kevin McCarthy.
00:00:33.540 You're there in Washington.
00:00:35.720 I think everybody in politics is surprised
00:00:38.360 by how this played out so far.
00:00:40.980 Well, it's a big deal what's happening.
00:00:43.220 It's the first time in 100 years
00:00:45.200 that the House Speaker vote went to multiple ballots.
00:00:49.000 And right now the House is in recess
00:00:52.440 until noon on Wednesday.
00:00:54.500 And noon on Wednesday, we'll find out what happens next.
00:00:57.540 There were three rounds of balloting.
00:01:00.680 And on each of the three, nobody had the 218 votes needed
00:01:06.280 to win the speakership.
00:01:09.100 And so this battle, this battle is waging.
00:01:12.620 You and I are recording this on Tuesday evening
00:01:16.960 after the House is adjourned,
00:01:18.420 but before they've gathered in the morning.
00:01:19.940 I am confident there are multiple furious conversations
00:01:24.160 ongoing right now all across Washington.
00:01:27.600 Conversations between Kevin McCarthy and his allies.
00:01:30.980 Conversations between the rebels who are opposing McCarthy.
00:01:35.660 And there likely are negotiations going on right now.
00:01:40.300 But we won't know at least until tomorrow what happens.
00:01:46.520 And it's not going to be dull.
00:01:51.400 Yeah, it's not going to be dull.
00:01:53.000 Let's talk about the history of this.
00:01:55.200 There are people, and this is even on the Democrat side,
00:01:57.920 that say, hey, we don't like this type of precedent
00:02:01.040 because then what you could end up happening in the future
00:02:03.960 is when you have tight elections,
00:02:05.420 like we just had in November,
00:02:07.620 if certain people in either side of the aisle
00:02:11.320 refuse to kind of, you know, coalesce behind their team,
00:02:16.520 then you could always be holding good people hostage.
00:02:20.400 That's how this has kind of played out on TV.
00:02:22.960 There have been others have said,
00:02:24.180 this has just become too personal
00:02:26.060 with three or four, five different members of Congress
00:02:28.580 and Kevin McCarthy,
00:02:29.400 where it really isn't about the country.
00:02:32.040 It's more of a personal issue.
00:02:33.800 I think this is a very unique moment
00:02:37.660 where you see 20 people say,
00:02:39.460 all right, maybe we go with a Jim Jordan.
00:02:41.000 We've heard people talk about Steve Scalise.
00:02:43.260 Does that really change anything?
00:02:45.340 And if you're a member of Congress right now,
00:02:47.000 especially a new member of Congress,
00:02:48.860 how confused are you by all of this on your first day?
00:02:53.340 Well, let me say several things.
00:02:55.080 First of all, I'm staying out of the Speaker fight in the House.
00:02:58.980 I've got plenty of fights over on the other side
00:03:01.500 of the Capitol in the Senate.
00:03:02.560 We are in the middle of big, big battles in the Senate.
00:03:05.600 And so I am watching with considerable interest,
00:03:09.700 but not engaging in the middle of their leadership fight.
00:03:14.860 That being said, I'll make several observations.
00:03:17.560 Number one, a big part of the reason this is playing out
00:03:21.560 is because the election was disappointing.
00:03:25.220 The election, we did a lot less,
00:03:28.220 Republicans did a lot less in the election
00:03:30.140 than we should have.
00:03:30.960 We should have a majority in the Senate.
00:03:33.700 We should have a big majority in the House.
00:03:36.940 If we'd come out of the election
00:03:39.280 and it was a 30-35 vote Republican majority in the House,
00:03:43.480 I doubt this fight would be playing out.
00:03:46.460 At that level, I think Kevin McCarthy
00:03:49.180 would have had pretty easily the votes
00:03:51.220 to be elected Speaker.
00:03:52.500 And if you win a big victory,
00:03:55.220 that is typically the result.
00:03:58.760 What is driving this is it was instead
00:04:01.440 a very frustrating election
00:04:03.260 where we didn't win a majority in the Senate.
00:04:05.960 In fact, we lost a seat in the Senate,
00:04:07.520 which is beyond infuriating.
00:04:09.220 And in the House, the Republicans have a majority,
00:04:13.720 so that's good.
00:04:15.040 But it's the narrowest majority imaginable.
00:04:17.880 It is a four-vote majority.
00:04:19.620 Now, I'll say for any Speaker,
00:04:22.720 being Speaker of a House with a four-vote majority
00:04:25.620 is an absolute mess.
00:04:27.240 Because you're right.
00:04:28.080 When you have a tiny majority,
00:04:30.200 all sorts of groups of members
00:04:32.520 are incentivized to hold out for what they want.
00:04:35.120 And that's true from conservatives,
00:04:37.360 from moderates, from liberals across the spectrum.
00:04:40.260 I think it's also more true on the Republican side.
00:04:43.600 On the Democrat side,
00:04:44.680 Nancy Pelosi had a very small majority.
00:04:47.400 But the Democrats are command and control.
00:04:49.720 The Democrats are authoritarian.
00:04:51.300 The Democrats follow orders.
00:04:53.840 It's a strength of theirs,
00:04:54.900 and it's a weakness of theirs.
00:04:56.060 On the Republican side,
00:04:59.160 a strength and weakness we have as Republicans
00:05:01.700 is we're a bunch of individualists.
00:05:04.220 We're all over the map.
00:05:05.100 That's true in the Senate,
00:05:06.080 and it's true in the House.
00:05:07.420 And so what's playing out here
00:05:10.400 in significant part is playing out
00:05:12.100 because the majority is so narrow.
00:05:15.480 And what it led to,
00:05:16.700 look, you and I, Ben,
00:05:17.680 have talked on this podcast
00:05:19.400 about the leadership battles in the Senate.
00:05:22.920 And I led the fight
00:05:25.520 in the leadership battles of the Senate
00:05:27.720 to reevaluate what our leadership was doing.
00:05:31.100 And in particular,
00:05:31.740 I was the one that made the motion
00:05:33.340 to delay leadership elections
00:05:35.020 until after the Georgia runoff,
00:05:38.420 to delay them and to have a real debate
00:05:40.460 about how Republicans should lead.
00:05:44.220 And I ended up getting 11 votes
00:05:47.000 that, well, getting 16 votes
00:05:52.060 in favor of delaying the election.
00:05:54.520 And then ultimately,
00:05:56.080 there were 11 votes cast
00:05:58.160 either against Mitch McConnell
00:06:00.120 or one senator
00:06:01.540 who we don't know who voted president.
00:06:03.660 That was a big deal.
00:06:04.940 We needed 25
00:06:05.920 to have delayed the elections.
00:06:09.200 We got within nine
00:06:10.960 of that happening.
00:06:12.620 That's the first leadership battle
00:06:14.120 in the Senate we've had
00:06:15.240 in the decade I've served in the Senate.
00:06:18.580 Every other time,
00:06:19.360 Mitch McConnell's been elected
00:06:20.440 by acclamation.
00:06:21.700 The same forces
00:06:23.100 that drove that leadership battle
00:06:25.000 in the Senate
00:06:25.520 are driving the leadership battle
00:06:27.980 in the House.
00:06:28.760 But why is the result
00:06:30.860 playing out differently?
00:06:32.160 And there's a very important
00:06:33.860 structural difference
00:06:35.000 between the Senate and the House,
00:06:36.400 which is why you're getting
00:06:38.080 a lot more drama
00:06:38.920 on the House side.
00:06:39.680 In the Senate,
00:06:42.020 the Senate Republican leader
00:06:44.300 is elected
00:06:45.040 only by Republicans.
00:06:47.340 In other words,
00:06:47.900 it was the vote
00:06:48.660 of what was then 50 of us.
00:06:52.200 And so Mitch,
00:06:53.680 to remain Senate Republican leader,
00:06:55.560 had to win 26 of those 50.
00:06:57.980 He had those votes
00:06:59.380 pretty solidly
00:07:00.400 in his pocket.
00:07:02.040 In the House,
00:07:04.880 last month,
00:07:06.540 the House Republicans
00:07:07.380 got together
00:07:08.160 and Kevin McCarthy
00:07:09.080 won a sizable majority
00:07:10.780 of House Republicans.
00:07:12.660 But the way the House
00:07:14.380 operates is different
00:07:15.540 because the very first thing
00:07:17.300 after the new members
00:07:18.160 are sworn in
00:07:18.780 that happens in the House
00:07:19.840 is you have
00:07:21.280 what we're seeing right now,
00:07:22.500 a vote on the floor
00:07:23.640 of the House
00:07:24.300 to elect the Speaker.
00:07:26.100 And it's not just
00:07:27.020 a vote of Republicans.
00:07:28.040 If this was a vote
00:07:28.700 of only Republicans,
00:07:30.260 Kevin McCarthy
00:07:30.880 would have won handily
00:07:31.820 like he did last month.
00:07:34.420 This is a vote
00:07:35.220 of every House member.
00:07:37.920 And to be Speaker,
00:07:39.800 you need a majority
00:07:40.660 of the members
00:07:41.640 who are present and voting.
00:07:42.940 So there are 435 members
00:07:45.680 of the House.
00:07:46.400 One member,
00:07:47.460 a Democratic member,
00:07:48.420 passed away.
00:07:49.100 So there are only 434 members
00:07:50.840 right now.
00:07:52.460 That means you need 218.
00:07:55.840 What happened
00:07:56.880 on the first ballot,
00:07:59.360 Andy Biggs
00:08:00.100 from Arizona
00:08:00.860 who's a conservative,
00:08:02.280 who's a good friend of mine,
00:08:04.000 Andy ran against
00:08:05.440 Kevin McCarthy.
00:08:07.540 And it ended up
00:08:08.680 that there were 19 votes
00:08:10.660 cast against Kevin McCarthy.
00:08:12.420 Mind you,
00:08:14.220 5 was sufficient.
00:08:15.700 He could only lose 4.
00:08:18.680 Well,
00:08:19.600 the second ballot,
00:08:22.660 instead of Andy Biggs
00:08:23.920 being the lead opposition player,
00:08:26.960 it was Jim Jordan.
00:08:28.960 And this time,
00:08:29.740 there were 19 votes
00:08:31.220 for Jim Jordan.
00:08:33.180 Now,
00:08:33.420 there is
00:08:33.920 some irony in this
00:08:36.760 in that Jim Jordan
00:08:37.820 is at least at present
00:08:40.060 vocally supporting
00:08:41.160 Kevin McCarthy
00:08:41.840 to be Speaker.
00:08:42.960 Yeah,
00:08:43.200 he actually told one member
00:08:44.840 that voted for him,
00:08:45.720 like,
00:08:45.900 I don't want this job.
00:08:47.020 And they said,
00:08:47.540 tough luck.
00:08:48.680 Basically,
00:08:49.080 we're going to nominate you
00:08:50.300 and vote for you anyway.
00:08:51.940 Well,
00:08:52.180 and it's even more than that.
00:08:53.360 Jim Jordan
00:08:53.880 on the second ballot
00:08:54.860 had literally stood up
00:08:56.320 and nominated
00:08:57.800 Kevin McCarthy.
00:08:58.820 So he was nominating
00:09:00.220 Kevin McCarthy.
00:09:02.300 And in turn,
00:09:03.820 Matt Gaetz got up
00:09:04.780 and nominated
00:09:05.280 Jim Jordan
00:09:05.940 and 19 Republicans
00:09:07.640 voted for Jim Jordan.
00:09:09.720 Then the third ballot,
00:09:12.320 Chip Roy
00:09:12.760 nominated Jim Jordan.
00:09:15.100 Chip Roy
00:09:15.700 is my former
00:09:16.380 chief of staff.
00:09:17.520 He's a strong conservative.
00:09:18.720 He's a very dear friend.
00:09:19.800 And Chip Roy
00:09:21.240 gave a passion speech
00:09:22.640 for Jim Jordan.
00:09:25.160 And what happened next
00:09:26.500 was significant.
00:09:27.540 Look,
00:09:28.200 in these battles,
00:09:29.480 momentum matters.
00:09:31.440 And so everyone
00:09:32.340 is watching,
00:09:33.500 okay,
00:09:33.860 are the vote totals
00:09:34.700 going up
00:09:35.280 or going down?
00:09:38.500 And on the third ballot,
00:09:41.840 McCarthy's numbers
00:09:42.680 went down.
00:09:43.380 And in particular,
00:09:44.280 Jim Jordan,
00:09:44.880 instead of getting 19,
00:09:46.220 which is what he got
00:09:46.820 on the second ballot,
00:09:48.760 Jordan got 20.
00:09:49.800 And the vote
00:09:51.560 that flipped
00:09:52.240 was Byron Donalds,
00:09:55.540 who is a second term
00:09:57.980 House member
00:09:59.620 from Florida.
00:10:00.480 He's African American.
00:10:01.760 He's a good,
00:10:03.580 principled,
00:10:04.480 very well-liked member.
00:10:08.020 There were gasps
00:10:09.380 on the floor
00:10:09.960 of the House
00:10:10.600 when
00:10:12.740 Byron shifted
00:10:15.860 his vote.
00:10:16.380 That dynamic,
00:10:18.760 I think,
00:10:20.920 played a real part
00:10:21.980 in the decision
00:10:22.700 to say,
00:10:23.140 okay,
00:10:23.640 let's suspend
00:10:24.820 everything till noon
00:10:25.700 tomorrow.
00:10:27.400 Canadian women
00:10:28.200 are looking for more.
00:10:29.500 More out of themselves,
00:10:30.600 their businesses,
00:10:31.540 their elected leaders,
00:10:32.480 and the world around them.
00:10:33.700 And that's why
00:10:34.160 we're thrilled to introduce
00:10:35.320 The Honest Talk Podcast.
00:10:37.360 I'm Jennifer Stewart.
00:10:38.620 And I'm Catherine Clark.
00:10:39.840 And in this podcast,
00:10:41.000 we interview Canada's
00:10:41.960 most inspiring women,
00:10:43.460 entrepreneurs,
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00:10:47.140 all at different stages
00:10:48.200 of their journey.
00:10:49.280 So if you're looking
00:10:50.360 to connect,
00:10:51.160 then we hope
00:10:51.580 you'll join us.
00:10:52.580 Listen to The Honest Talk
00:10:53.440 Podcast on iHeartRadio
00:10:54.960 or wherever you listen
00:10:55.920 to your podcasts.
00:10:56.640 When you look
00:11:00.060 at that suspension
00:11:00.980 and before we actually,
00:11:02.360 before I even ask you that,
00:11:03.220 I want to go back
00:11:03.940 to Chip Roy
00:11:05.280 and what he said
00:11:06.180 was something
00:11:07.240 that I think
00:11:07.780 was very interesting
00:11:08.500 because I was watching
00:11:09.520 this on all the channels
00:11:10.600 when it was happening
00:11:11.600 and even CNN said,
00:11:14.620 okay,
00:11:15.660 Chip has a point
00:11:16.860 he's making here.
00:11:18.000 He wasn't opposing
00:11:19.640 Kevin McCarthy
00:11:20.980 as much as he was advocating
00:11:23.560 for actually debating
00:11:26.120 amendments
00:11:26.680 and having transparency
00:11:28.200 in government
00:11:29.100 from the floor
00:11:30.380 of the House
00:11:31.120 and even the panel said
00:11:33.120 there's a lot of Americans
00:11:34.460 that are going to watch
00:11:35.200 Chip Roy,
00:11:35.740 maybe for the first time ever,
00:11:37.380 that are going to look
00:11:38.040 at this and say,
00:11:38.980 you know what?
00:11:39.840 What he's saying right now
00:11:41.160 actually makes
00:11:41.820 some pretty good sense.
00:11:44.100 Just take a listen
00:11:45.060 if you missed this,
00:11:46.120 America,
00:11:46.620 this is what he had to say
00:11:47.800 from the floor
00:11:48.300 of the House.
00:11:50.280 So this is what
00:11:51.220 the chamber looks like
00:11:52.100 when we're actually debating
00:11:53.000 and the bodies
00:11:53.580 are in the chairs.
00:11:56.120 How many times
00:11:57.320 have we been down here
00:11:58.080 giving speeches
00:11:58.740 and there's not a soul
00:11:59.600 in the chamber?
00:12:01.200 Yet this is what it takes
00:12:02.500 to get 435 people
00:12:05.580 in the chamber
00:12:06.120 and have an actual debate.
00:12:09.120 The American people
00:12:10.380 are watching
00:12:11.380 and that's a good thing.
00:12:14.140 What we're doing
00:12:15.200 is exercising our rights
00:12:17.320 to vote
00:12:18.280 and have a debate
00:12:19.440 and have a discussion
00:12:20.820 about the future
00:12:22.700 of this country
00:12:23.380 through the decision
00:12:24.680 of choosing a speaker.
00:12:26.980 This is not personal.
00:12:28.720 It's not.
00:12:30.180 This is about
00:12:30.940 the future of the country.
00:12:33.120 This is about
00:12:33.780 the direction of the country.
00:12:34.840 American people
00:12:35.420 who are looking at this body
00:12:36.480 and wondering why
00:12:37.320 we can pass
00:12:37.920 1.7 trillion dollar bills
00:12:39.660 that are unpaid for.
00:12:41.620 They can just slide in
00:12:43.220 45 billion dollars
00:12:44.860 for Ukraine
00:12:45.760 but not pay for it.
00:12:47.040 40 billion dollars
00:12:47.900 for emergency spending
00:12:48.780 and not pay for it.
00:12:49.620 10% increase
00:12:50.440 in defense spending.
00:12:51.280 6% increase
00:12:52.080 in non-defense spending
00:12:53.620 and not pay for it.
00:12:55.640 And not do a thing
00:12:56.420 except put language
00:12:57.200 in a bill
00:12:57.740 that prohibits
00:12:59.500 our ability
00:13:00.020 to use the money
00:13:00.820 to secure the border.
00:13:03.680 That bill gets
00:13:04.920 rammed through
00:13:05.840 and we know exactly
00:13:07.880 how it gets rammed through.
00:13:09.920 Because the defense world
00:13:12.100 and the non-defense world
00:13:14.940 come together
00:13:16.180 and say
00:13:16.760 you know what?
00:13:17.800 We're going to cut a deal
00:13:18.940 and we'll all go to the mics
00:13:20.500 and we'll all go to give speeches
00:13:21.560 and the American people
00:13:22.980 are the big losers.
00:13:24.720 That's what happens.
00:13:26.240 We know that's what happens.
00:13:28.600 The rules committee
00:13:29.720 sits up there
00:13:30.540 and passes a bill
00:13:31.480 sends it to the floor
00:13:33.000 and we have no debate
00:13:34.400 on the floor of this body.
00:13:36.320 We haven't been able
00:13:37.220 to offer an amendment
00:13:37.820 on the floor of this body
00:13:38.740 since May of 2016.
00:13:41.340 The former leader
00:13:42.020 and I have discussed
00:13:42.720 this right here.
00:13:44.680 That's true.
00:13:45.380 But the fact is
00:13:47.400 this place has to change.
00:13:50.400 It has to change.
00:13:52.960 And the change comes
00:13:54.240 by either adopting
00:13:55.480 rules and procedures
00:13:56.400 that will make us
00:13:57.380 actually do our job
00:13:58.680 or it comes
00:13:59.840 from leadership.
00:14:02.340 And people ask me
00:14:03.100 what do you want?
00:14:04.520 I want the tools
00:14:05.660 or I want the leadership
00:14:06.880 to stop the swamp
00:14:08.900 from running over
00:14:09.920 the average American
00:14:11.020 every single day.
00:14:12.200 I mean Senator
00:14:14.940 when you hear that
00:14:15.860 as he said
00:14:16.420 this is not about
00:14:17.580 the speaker
00:14:18.560 as in the person's name
00:14:19.760 this is about
00:14:20.300 rules and procedure.
00:14:22.000 I understand now
00:14:22.720 why Chip was your
00:14:23.640 chief of staff
00:14:24.340 and why you like him
00:14:25.160 so much
00:14:25.680 because for many Americans
00:14:27.380 whether you are
00:14:28.240 Republican or Democrat
00:14:29.280 you hear what he just said
00:14:31.140 and it makes a lot of sense.
00:14:33.940 Yeah look
00:14:34.380 Chip is very smart
00:14:36.040 he's very principled
00:14:37.260 as you noted
00:14:37.880 when I was newly elected
00:14:39.120 he was my very first
00:14:40.280 chief of staff
00:14:40.940 so I have been
00:14:41.660 in a lot of foxholes
00:14:42.980 side by side
00:14:43.860 with Chip
00:14:44.320 and he is absolutely right
00:14:48.340 that having this debate
00:14:50.020 about what Republicans
00:14:53.120 will stand for
00:14:54.540 is important
00:14:55.420 irrespective of a speaker election
00:14:57.060 it's important to say
00:14:59.100 how are we going to operate
00:15:01.200 and lead
00:15:01.980 because I believe
00:15:02.860 one of the reasons
00:15:03.680 we didn't have
00:15:04.400 the kind of election
00:15:05.200 that you and I
00:15:06.300 wanted us to have
00:15:07.220 in November
00:15:07.760 is that Republican leadership
00:15:09.640 was not leading
00:15:11.920 boldly
00:15:12.800 and drawing
00:15:13.320 a clear contrast
00:15:14.160 and I've focused
00:15:16.360 my time and attention
00:15:17.340 on the Senate
00:15:18.180 that's obviously
00:15:18.820 the body in which I serve
00:15:20.120 and on trying
00:15:21.260 to press
00:15:21.920 Mitch McConnell
00:15:23.060 to stand up
00:15:25.500 and be willing
00:15:26.020 to fight
00:15:26.460 I think Chip
00:15:27.060 is exactly right
00:15:27.960 that this omnibus
00:15:29.000 was an absolute
00:15:31.000 monstrosity
00:15:32.140 it was a disgraceful bill
00:15:33.780 now
00:15:34.940 here's one of the weird
00:15:36.560 dynamics
00:15:37.240 Mitch McConnell
00:15:39.120 was urging Republicans
00:15:40.340 to support the
00:15:41.180 1.7 trillion dollar
00:15:42.420 omnibus
00:15:42.960 because he said
00:15:44.400 it would help
00:15:45.020 Kevin McCarthy
00:15:45.880 Kevin McCarthy
00:15:47.820 was publicly
00:15:48.820 urging Republicans
00:15:50.660 in the Senate
00:15:51.120 to vote against
00:15:51.800 the omnibus
00:15:52.420 he said
00:15:52.720 it will hurt
00:15:53.400 me
00:15:54.220 hurt Kevin McCarthy
00:15:55.240 that dynamic
00:15:58.420 playing out
00:15:59.380 is
00:15:59.980 ongoing
00:16:03.540 and
00:16:03.920 you know
00:16:05.400 Chip's point
00:16:06.120 about we're actually
00:16:06.840 sitting in the chamber
00:16:07.920 talking to each other
00:16:09.220 that happens so rarely
00:16:10.880 in either house
00:16:12.000 that
00:16:13.320 having a debate
00:16:14.960 about okay
00:16:15.660 we shouldn't fight
00:16:18.180 on
00:16:18.580 everything
00:16:19.620 always
00:16:20.220 that doesn't make
00:16:20.940 any sense
00:16:21.460 but we should
00:16:22.240 have a strategy
00:16:23.220 to pick
00:16:23.820 issues that matter
00:16:25.260 and stand
00:16:26.900 and fight for them
00:16:27.760 and deliver
00:16:28.280 for the American people
00:16:29.400 now
00:16:29.740 Chip has been
00:16:33.240 leading the insurgents
00:16:34.660 in the house
00:16:35.200 and the main thing
00:16:36.300 he has been pressing
00:16:37.100 for is something
00:16:37.880 that is called
00:16:38.480 the motion to vacate
00:16:40.240 which it used to be
00:16:41.860 that any individual
00:16:43.180 member
00:16:43.900 could stand up
00:16:45.580 in the house
00:16:46.080 and file a motion
00:16:47.020 to vacate the chair
00:16:48.000 and you could force
00:16:49.020 another vote
00:16:49.700 like the vote
00:16:50.240 we're having right now
00:16:51.440 you could force
00:16:52.740 at any time
00:16:53.380 that meant
00:16:54.820 that the given speaker
00:16:55.860 at any given point
00:16:56.920 had to be able
00:16:57.540 to hold 218 votes
00:16:59.140 that makes
00:17:01.440 the job
00:17:02.160 of speaker
00:17:02.700 significantly
00:17:03.300 more perilous
00:17:04.260 it is the tool
00:17:06.520 that was used
00:17:07.520 to topple
00:17:08.260 John Boehner
00:17:09.020 who I think
00:17:09.560 was truly
00:17:10.000 an abysmal speaker
00:17:11.140 Nancy Pelosi
00:17:13.640 changed those rules
00:17:14.780 and she changed
00:17:15.520 those rules
00:17:16.260 to prevent
00:17:17.820 an individual member
00:17:18.840 from filing
00:17:19.400 a motion
00:17:19.780 to vacate
00:17:20.340 why?
00:17:20.760 because she didn't
00:17:21.140 want to get toppled
00:17:21.840 she didn't want
00:17:23.420 any rebels
00:17:25.040 to be empowered
00:17:25.880 and so
00:17:26.420 what those
00:17:28.700 who are opposing
00:17:29.400 McCarthy
00:17:29.840 are pressing for
00:17:30.660 is a procedural
00:17:31.460 step
00:17:32.040 that an individual
00:17:33.740 house member
00:17:34.400 can file a motion
00:17:35.320 to vacate
00:17:35.920 why are they
00:17:36.560 pressing for it?
00:17:37.260 well the argument
00:17:37.720 they give
00:17:38.280 is that it then
00:17:40.340 gives a check
00:17:41.160 on leadership
00:17:42.060 McCarthy
00:17:43.580 at least so far
00:17:44.680 has been unwilling
00:17:46.640 to agree to that
00:17:47.680 he's publicly
00:17:48.540 agreed
00:17:49.080 to allowing
00:17:51.660 a motion
00:17:52.240 to vacate
00:17:52.980 that five members
00:17:54.160 support
00:17:54.620 but not
00:17:55.080 that an individual
00:17:55.680 member
00:17:56.000 support
00:17:56.440 right now
00:17:57.800 I think
00:18:00.540 there are
00:18:00.980 a number
00:18:01.500 of things
00:18:02.160 that are going
00:18:02.680 on
00:18:03.040 number one
00:18:04.640 it is entirely
00:18:05.300 possible
00:18:05.800 and I will say
00:18:06.320 I have zero
00:18:07.100 inside knowledge
00:18:07.900 on this piece
00:18:08.540 but it's entirely
00:18:09.220 possible
00:18:09.740 that McCarthy's
00:18:10.880 team
00:18:11.240 is negotiating
00:18:13.200 with the ringleaders
00:18:14.140 of the opposition
00:18:14.840 and perhaps
00:18:16.080 they make
00:18:16.820 concessions
00:18:17.500 on the procedural
00:18:18.200 grounds
00:18:19.000 sufficient
00:18:20.020 to get their
00:18:20.680 support
00:18:21.080 that's one
00:18:21.740 outcome
00:18:22.240 we could see
00:18:24.160 at noon
00:18:25.380 on Wednesday
00:18:25.900 another
00:18:29.040 outcome
00:18:29.740 is you
00:18:31.640 could see
00:18:32.580 growing support
00:18:34.940 behind Jim
00:18:35.560 Jordan
00:18:35.900 I don't know
00:18:38.500 if that will
00:18:38.960 happen or not
00:18:39.680 as I said
00:18:41.080 Byron Donald's
00:18:42.060 vote was
00:18:42.640 significant
00:18:43.220 a third
00:18:43.840 outcome
00:18:44.360 is you could
00:18:46.420 see a potential
00:18:47.160 third candidate
00:18:48.000 you could see
00:18:49.640 someone else
00:18:50.280 Steve Scalise
00:18:51.040 who's the
00:18:51.440 number two
00:18:52.040 behind Kevin
00:18:52.760 McCarthy
00:18:53.200 has been
00:18:54.160 discussed as
00:18:54.800 that
00:18:54.960 now Steve
00:18:55.740 nominated
00:18:56.800 Kevin McCarthy
00:18:57.520 Steve is
00:18:58.180 publicly and
00:18:58.860 vocally
00:18:59.180 supporting
00:18:59.700 McCarthy
00:19:00.180 but in
00:19:01.840 chaos
00:19:02.340 all sorts
00:19:03.200 of strange
00:19:03.660 things happen
00:19:04.380 a fourth
00:19:05.620 outcome
00:19:06.040 that would
00:19:06.380 be a
00:19:06.700 terrible
00:19:07.120 outcome
00:19:07.660 is it
00:19:09.060 is possible
00:19:09.780 some of
00:19:10.220 the more
00:19:10.520 moderate
00:19:10.960 or liberal
00:19:11.760 Republicans
00:19:12.400 could team
00:19:12.960 up with
00:19:13.280 Democrats
00:19:13.680 and we
00:19:15.540 could end
00:19:15.960 up with a
00:19:16.440 speaker
00:19:16.740 that's a
00:19:17.120 true train
00:19:17.620 wreck
00:19:17.880 that that
00:19:19.000 is either
00:19:19.480 an extremely
00:19:20.500 liberal
00:19:20.980 Republican
00:19:21.520 or God
00:19:22.280 forbid a
00:19:22.820 Democrat
00:19:23.160 now I
00:19:23.500 think the
00:19:24.180 chances of
00:19:24.740 a Democrat
00:19:25.200 speaker coming
00:19:25.880 out of this
00:19:26.360 chaos are
00:19:27.140 very very
00:19:28.340 low I
00:19:28.760 don't know
00:19:28.960 that there's
00:19:29.320 zero but
00:19:29.900 they're very
00:19:30.600 very low
00:19:31.260 but a
00:19:34.080 disastrously
00:19:35.200 left-wing
00:19:35.860 Republican
00:19:36.400 speaker is a
00:19:37.440 possibility I
00:19:38.320 don't think
00:19:39.020 that will
00:19:39.420 happen
00:19:39.800 but in
00:19:43.980 a world
00:19:44.560 of chaos
00:19:45.200 all sorts
00:19:46.080 of things
00:19:46.460 can happen
00:19:46.960 and so
00:19:47.340 those
00:19:47.920 negotiations
00:19:48.860 I think
00:19:51.480 are happening
00:19:51.940 all across
00:19:52.720 D.C.
00:19:54.860 right now
00:19:55.440 I think
00:19:56.000 we'll end
00:19:56.420 up with a
00:19:56.900 resolution
00:19:57.380 and we'll
00:19:57.760 end up
00:19:58.080 with a
00:19:58.380 resolution
00:19:58.940 that will
00:20:00.940 either be
00:20:01.840 a negotiated
00:20:02.800 solution
00:20:03.420 or a
00:20:06.160 consensus
00:20:06.940 candidate
00:20:07.440 somehow emerges
00:20:08.300 at this point
00:20:08.960 I have no
00:20:09.480 idea
00:20:09.760 all right
00:20:10.640 let me ask
00:20:11.220 you this
00:20:11.600 before we
00:20:12.460 wrap this
00:20:13.040 up because
00:20:13.540 obviously
00:20:14.000 there's a
00:20:14.380 lot that
00:20:14.780 we don't
00:20:15.460 know
00:20:15.820 but there
00:20:16.640 is the
00:20:17.240 optics of
00:20:18.020 this the
00:20:18.560 media is
00:20:19.280 playing this
00:20:19.920 senator the
00:20:20.780 headlines are
00:20:21.480 everywhere right
00:20:22.360 now you can
00:20:22.900 see it all
00:20:23.600 over the
00:20:24.000 country the
00:20:25.240 establishment
00:20:25.720 media is
00:20:26.140 saying the
00:20:26.440 Republicans are
00:20:27.420 in chaos
00:20:28.280 this is
00:20:28.900 anarchy
00:20:29.560 this is
00:20:30.920 making the
00:20:31.720 squad look
00:20:33.080 normal as
00:20:34.240 one headline
00:20:35.020 puts it
00:20:35.460 referring to
00:20:35.840 the AOC and
00:20:36.560 the crazies on
00:20:37.320 the left
00:20:37.780 making them
00:20:38.780 look rational
00:20:39.580 is another
00:20:40.320 way it was
00:20:40.800 put a moment
00:20:41.360 ago on TV
00:20:42.200 I don't
00:20:43.760 believe this
00:20:44.300 is catastrophically
00:20:45.500 negative in
00:20:46.240 any way for
00:20:46.740 the Republicans
00:20:47.280 I think a
00:20:48.320 grand debate
00:20:48.920 is not a
00:20:49.680 bad thing
00:20:50.400 do you see
00:20:52.080 this as some
00:20:52.900 massive debacle
00:20:54.300 taking place
00:20:55.320 or is that
00:20:56.700 just the media
00:20:57.360 doing what the
00:20:57.920 media does
00:20:58.380 saying let's
00:20:58.880 seize on this
00:20:59.380 moment look
00:21:00.100 like this is
00:21:00.640 insanity when
00:21:01.260 really this
00:21:01.900 isn't this
00:21:02.760 is just
00:21:03.140 watching the
00:21:03.680 sausage be
00:21:04.340 made
00:21:04.780 look the
00:21:05.720 media are
00:21:06.560 left-wing
00:21:06.980 propagandists
00:21:07.760 they hate
00:21:09.280 having a
00:21:09.900 debate about
00:21:11.020 Republicans
00:21:11.700 leading about
00:21:12.480 Republicans
00:21:12.960 being conservative
00:21:13.820 the media are
00:21:14.480 apoplectic about
00:21:15.380 it by the way
00:21:16.340 one of the
00:21:16.860 reasons Nancy
00:21:17.580 Pelosi didn't
00:21:18.500 face this
00:21:19.700 kind of
00:21:20.040 challenge is
00:21:20.640 she just
00:21:21.060 gave in to
00:21:21.840 the radicals
00:21:22.500 AOC was
00:21:23.320 basically the
00:21:24.160 speaker last
00:21:24.840 term on
00:21:25.960 every radical
00:21:26.900 left-wing
00:21:27.400 issue Nancy
00:21:28.420 Pelosi just
00:21:29.000 said yes
00:21:29.400 yes yes
00:21:30.160 you can have
00:21:30.700 it impeach
00:21:31.080 the president
00:21:31.480 okay yes
00:21:32.000 do it again
00:21:32.500 yes yes
00:21:33.440 everything you
00:21:34.100 want yes
00:21:34.640 yeah I
00:21:34.920 mean and
00:21:35.520 and they
00:21:36.640 all just
00:21:37.540 followed the
00:21:39.780 extreme left
00:21:40.760 that that's the
00:21:42.160 difference the
00:21:43.240 Democrats the
00:21:44.320 last two years
00:21:45.640 ran hard hard
00:21:47.020 left and they
00:21:47.680 had unity running
00:21:48.560 hard hard left
00:21:49.340 the reason there's
00:21:50.980 disagreement among
00:21:51.840 Republicans is is
00:21:53.100 there are some
00:21:53.640 Republicans that
00:21:54.480 want to be strong
00:21:56.380 conservatives there's
00:21:57.440 others who disagree
00:21:58.240 with that and you
00:21:58.980 end up with
00:21:59.860 something like the
00:22:01.440 1.7 trillion dollar
00:22:03.040 omnibus in the
00:22:03.800 Senate what was
00:22:04.560 it all the
00:22:05.160 Democrats and a
00:22:07.700 handful of
00:22:08.180 Republicans you
00:22:08.820 see that pattern
00:22:09.700 over and over
00:22:10.580 and over again I
00:22:11.920 will say one of
00:22:12.760 the complicated
00:22:13.320 pieces of this
00:22:14.140 also is Donald
00:22:16.340 Trump so Trump
00:22:19.700 likes Kevin
00:22:21.020 McCarthy they are
00:22:22.780 friends in fact
00:22:23.640 Trump with some
00:22:25.100 regularity refers to
00:22:26.360 Kevin McCarthy as
00:22:27.200 my Kevin and
00:22:28.660 they just on a
00:22:29.440 personal level get
00:22:32.360 along well I get
00:22:33.500 that I like Kevin
00:22:34.360 McCarthy personally
00:22:35.180 he's a very
00:22:35.700 affable guy he's
00:22:36.760 difficult to dislike
00:22:37.720 on the one-on-one
00:22:38.560 basis Trump has
00:22:40.620 been vocally
00:22:41.480 supporting McCarthy
00:22:42.700 not long ago an
00:22:47.120 NBC reporter
00:22:48.140 tweeted out
00:22:48.960 exclusive former
00:22:49.980 President Trump
00:22:50.720 declined to say if
00:22:52.260 he's sticking by his
00:22:53.140 endorsement of Kevin
00:22:53.920 McCarthy for speaker
00:22:54.800 tonight telling me in
00:22:56.300 a brief phone
00:22:56.900 interview he has had
00:22:57.760 calls all day asking
00:22:59.660 for support and
00:23:00.560 quote we'll see what
00:23:01.940 happens we'll see
00:23:02.760 how it all works
00:23:03.500 out that's a
00:23:05.400 potential big
00:23:07.400 deal depending on
00:23:09.600 what Trump does in
00:23:10.460 the next 24 hours if
00:23:11.920 he continues to
00:23:12.940 support Kevin that's
00:23:14.400 one outcome if he
00:23:15.400 decides to withdraw
00:23:17.520 his support or
00:23:18.360 support another
00:23:19.000 candidate that could
00:23:20.360 change the dynamic
00:23:21.440 very significantly
00:23:22.600 well and in that
00:23:23.860 tweet that you just
00:23:24.760 mentioned to talk
00:23:26.280 about the five that
00:23:27.180 started this
00:23:28.000 Congressman Gates
00:23:29.380 immediately tweeted
00:23:30.180 that out saying
00:23:31.160 you know and
00:23:32.000 quoting it and
00:23:32.760 then said Trump
00:23:33.540 knows McCarthy
00:23:34.360 can't get there
00:23:35.240 so he sees that
00:23:36.680 moment to say
00:23:37.360 aha see I'm
00:23:38.800 winning here
00:23:39.580 because Donald
00:23:40.640 Trump didn't come
00:23:41.360 out tonight and
00:23:42.040 say I still stand
00:23:42.980 behind Kevin
00:23:43.580 McCarthy
00:23:44.000 well and
00:23:45.800 unfortunately you're
00:23:47.040 also seeing
00:23:47.840 divisions within
00:23:49.280 within the house
00:23:51.100 that that are
00:23:51.980 getting pretty
00:23:52.580 tense you know
00:23:53.440 Marjorie Taylor
00:23:54.120 Green went out
00:23:54.960 and blasted
00:23:56.240 Chip Roy and
00:23:58.100 blasted Matt
00:23:58.980 Gates because
00:24:00.080 she's supporting
00:24:00.820 Kevin McCarthy
00:24:01.520 and so so she
00:24:02.980 had had some
00:24:04.340 very angry
00:24:05.060 things to say
00:24:06.060 there are all
00:24:08.700 sorts of strange
00:24:09.880 dynamics look one
00:24:11.060 of the things that
00:24:11.780 drove it
00:24:12.340 as I understand
00:24:14.500 it is is the
00:24:16.840 house Republican
00:24:17.620 conference met
00:24:18.500 today and I
00:24:21.700 wasn't in the room
00:24:22.420 I'm not in the
00:24:22.960 house but from
00:24:24.400 the public
00:24:24.840 reports leadership
00:24:26.400 came out really
00:24:29.140 strong and
00:24:29.860 aggressive indeed
00:24:30.880 anonymous quotes
00:24:33.060 supporting leadership
00:24:33.880 were saying that
00:24:35.280 McCarthy quote
00:24:36.280 they'd never seen
00:24:37.060 anyone taken to
00:24:37.880 the woodshed as
00:24:38.720 much as as
00:24:39.440 Kevin took the
00:24:41.440 the the rebels to
00:24:44.220 the woodshed and
00:24:45.960 in particular it's
00:24:48.080 been reported that
00:24:49.180 Mike Rogers stood
00:24:52.020 up and threatened
00:24:53.180 Republicans who
00:24:55.700 didn't vote for
00:24:56.700 Kevin would lose
00:24:57.600 their committee
00:24:58.040 assignments that
00:24:58.720 they would be
00:24:59.340 punished and
00:25:00.880 stripped off of
00:25:01.780 committees and
00:25:02.420 and that Chip Roy
00:25:04.280 has been very
00:25:04.840 vocal that that
00:25:05.600 pissed him off and
00:25:06.500 that threat if
00:25:09.820 anything drove the
00:25:11.280 numbers the other
00:25:12.120 way and and and I
00:25:13.140 could see that
00:25:13.760 sometimes leadership
00:25:14.780 gets punitive and
00:25:17.840 you know what if
00:25:19.320 you've got a 30
00:25:20.140 vote majority
00:25:20.960 leadership can be
00:25:22.480 punitive if you've
00:25:24.620 got a four vote
00:25:25.400 majority
00:25:26.020 you might not want
00:25:29.300 to play that card
00:25:30.100 it's it's pretty
00:25:31.740 dangerous to make
00:25:33.100 threats because it
00:25:35.540 can end up making
00:25:36.880 those who disagree
00:25:37.820 with you dig in
00:25:39.120 and and and that
00:25:41.080 may be playing out
00:25:41.820 there as well
00:25:42.360 it's going to be
00:25:43.720 very interesting how
00:25:44.720 this ends up what a
00:25:45.840 way to go back to
00:25:46.760 to Washington for a
00:25:48.180 new Congress I
00:25:49.780 I still agree with
00:25:50.780 you and what you
00:25:51.440 said a moment ago
00:25:52.400 this is just going to
00:25:54.100 be entertaining to
00:25:55.240 watch I do not
00:25:56.320 believe this is quote
00:25:57.200 hurting the
00:25:57.820 Republican Party or
00:25:59.480 some sort of horrible
00:26:00.640 debacle that will
00:26:01.700 never oh that you
00:26:02.840 know we'll never be
00:26:03.740 able to overcome I
00:26:05.380 just don't buy those
00:26:06.520 liberal headlines from
00:26:07.540 the lefties over the
00:26:08.820 next 10 12 hours
00:26:10.400 center it's good to get
00:26:11.940 back in a rhythm with
00:26:12.900 you I know you're
00:26:14.180 excited let me say one
00:26:15.140 more thing as we wrap
00:26:16.020 up yeah which is
00:26:18.380 something else
00:26:18.900 happened today that
00:26:19.640 I thought was
00:26:20.180 actually quite shocking
00:26:21.160 and it was on the
00:26:21.780 Senate side so the
00:26:22.980 Senate side the new
00:26:23.860 senators were sworn in
00:26:24.820 that always happens
00:26:25.640 that swearing in
00:26:26.520 happens on the floor
00:26:27.340 of the Senate and
00:26:29.120 the vice president who's
00:26:30.500 the president of the
00:26:31.160 Senate swears them in
00:26:32.140 and then afterwards you
00:26:34.040 go to the historic
00:26:34.920 Senate chamber and you
00:26:36.260 do a reenactment of
00:26:37.420 the swearing in and and
00:26:39.460 the reason you do that
00:26:40.700 is because family
00:26:42.380 members are not allowed
00:26:43.260 on the floor of the
00:26:43.840 Senate so when you're
00:26:44.600 actually getting sworn in
00:26:45.800 your wife can't be
00:26:46.820 there your husband
00:26:47.500 your kids your
00:26:48.240 parents and so what
00:26:51.700 has always happened
00:26:53.020 certainly for as long
00:26:54.080 as I I'm aware of it
00:26:55.280 is after the at the
00:26:57.480 official swearing in
00:26:58.520 you go to the historic
00:26:59.360 chamber and the vice
00:27:01.980 president will swear you
00:27:03.220 in and you know in my
00:27:04.640 case when I was sworn in
00:27:05.780 10 years ago Heidi holds
00:27:07.100 the Bible and your kids
00:27:08.360 are there your parents
00:27:09.300 are there your family's
00:27:10.320 there and it's look it's
00:27:11.680 a great like it's it's a
00:27:13.140 big exciting thing when
00:27:14.580 you're being sworn into
00:27:15.460 the Senate it's nice to be
00:27:16.560 with your family and
00:27:17.300 celebrate it well
00:27:19.200 something an historic
00:27:21.540 first occurred which is
00:27:23.860 Kamala Harris's office
00:27:25.440 put out a notification to
00:27:28.560 to the senators being
00:27:29.700 sworn in that anyone
00:27:31.180 attending the the the
00:27:32.760 swearing in reenactment
00:27:34.280 must have a negative
00:27:36.580 COVID test within 24 hours
00:27:38.840 performed by a capital
00:27:41.140 physician or you wouldn't
00:27:42.120 be allowed in this was
00:27:43.020 true for anyone over two
00:27:44.460 years of age Wow and I
00:27:47.620 gotta say look the vice
00:27:49.600 president particularly in
00:27:51.120 a 51 49 Senate has almost
00:27:54.560 zero responsibilities you
00:27:57.260 know the the old famous
00:28:00.200 quote from John Nance
00:28:01.660 Gardner is the is the the
00:28:03.280 vice president is presidency
00:28:05.200 isn't worth a bucket of
00:28:06.440 warm spit about the only
00:28:09.560 thing the vice president
00:28:10.960 does is swear in the new
00:28:13.160 senators you break a tie but
00:28:15.220 in a 51 49 Senate they're
00:28:17.160 gonna be a lot fewer ties
00:28:18.300 and so Kamala is literally
00:28:23.900 saying I'm not gonna do my
00:28:25.780 damn job and and I it was
00:28:30.100 astonishing and I have to
00:28:31.420 admit offensive and it pissed
00:28:32.920 me off and and and I'm gonna
00:28:35.080 give a shout out to one of the
00:28:36.320 new senators Mark Wayne
00:28:37.360 Mullen is new Republican
00:28:38.520 from Oklahoma who who
00:28:41.460 decided he and his family
00:28:43.700 screw you we're not gonna do
00:28:44.980 it and he put he put out a
00:28:46.120 quote that says COVID just
00:28:48.040 exists for those who are in
00:28:49.040 the bubble and that his
00:28:49.900 family has things to do back
00:28:51.200 in Oklahoma such as going to
00:28:52.800 a school and wrestling
00:28:53.660 tournament the senator said he
00:28:55.420 didn't want a false positive
00:28:56.700 on a COVID test unnecessarily
00:28:58.340 complicate things when going
00:29:00.200 back to Oklahoma and quote I
00:29:02.420 really don't care about a
00:29:03.420 picture with Kamala Harris he
00:29:04.680 had it now it's time for you
00:29:08.380 to take him to dinner right
00:29:09.460 this isn't this could be your
00:29:10.540 new best friend look good for
00:29:12.540 him for standing up but I gotta
00:29:16.180 say like that the absolute
00:29:18.920 dripping arrogance and
00:29:20.860 condescension of I will not
00:29:24.520 allow you to be in the room
00:29:26.120 with me unless you take a COVID
00:29:28.820 test and I won't do my job as
00:29:31.640 a result I I've never seen
00:29:33.220 anything like it and and
00:29:34.780 including if you're two years
00:29:36.720 old in one day right
00:29:38.000 relationships between the
00:29:39.900 White House and and and the
00:29:41.760 Senate were already not very
00:29:43.340 good and and and this that was
00:29:46.820 just Maria Antoinette would be
00:29:50.000 proud of Kamala's performance
00:29:51.480 today you can't make it up
00:29:53.400 senator it's going to be a very
00:29:55.120 very interesting year in
00:29:56.640 Washington we'll keep you all
00:29:58.800 updated on it we'll have the
00:30:00.160 latest on what happens with the
00:30:02.080 speakers vote we can promise
00:30:04.400 you that again great to be
00:30:06.260 back with you the new year
00:30:07.200 sir I know you had a nice
00:30:08.300 little vacation with your
00:30:09.360 family as well and we'll be
00:30:11.300 back with all you guys that are
00:30:12.920 listening right now in just a
00:30:14.780 couple of days this is an I
00:30:17.160 heart podcast guaranteed human
00:30:20.040 man I'll see you next time