December 3, 2025 • 32 mins
Tune in here to this Wednesday edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!
Breaking Brett Jensen kicks off the show talking with former North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, who recently filed to run for the North Carolina Senate. Whatley describes his campaign as an effort to “discuss the issues that matter for North Carolina.” He says common sense is needed to address the state’s top concerns - particularly the economy, jobs and public safety.
When asked whether Republicans will rebound in state government next year, Whatley says the decision will hinge on whether voters believe their future senator will support former President Donald Trump and the “America First” agenda. He says he is confident North Carolinians will side with Trump again and emphasizes that he wants to be Trump’s “conservative champion” in the Senate.
Later, Jensen discusses two stories relevant to the Queen City - a rise in apartment construction and rent prices, and a lawsuit in NASCAR involving team owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.
Listen here for all of this and more on Breaking With Brett Jensen.
To be the first to hear about Breaking Brett Jensen's exclusives and more follow him on X @Brett_Jensen!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
News Talk eleven ten and nine to nine three WBT.
Bret Jenson here with you on this action packed edition
of Breaking with Brett Jensen on this Wednesday night, as
we go up until seven o'clock seven oh four or
five seven to eleven ten is the telephone number as always.
That is also the WBT text line, which of course
is driven by Buick Liberty and GMC and guys follow
(00:20):
me on except Brent Underscore Jensen for all the latest
and breaking news in and around the Charlotte area. Okay,
so we've got a lot to get into tonight, but
we're just going to jump straight into it because I've
got a special guest with us for the first half
of the show, and that is Michael Waltley, who has
officially filed to run for Senate for the state of
North Carolina. And you may know him as the head
(00:41):
of the RNC or the head of the NCGP, or
maybe just as a resident of Gaston County. So, first
of all, Michael, I do appreciate you joining us tonight.
And second of all, what was it like when you
were actually filing your name at the North Carolina Board
of Elections as a first time candidate? You've been involved
in paulic for a very long time, but this is
your first time as a candidate. What was that like
(01:04):
setting your name?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Well, it's very exciting. You know, this is a great
opportunity to have, you know, a campaign in a race
where we can go out there and we can talk
about the issues that matter for North Carolina. We can
talk about putting issues on our solutions on the table.
And it's the first time I've done it as a candidate.
(01:25):
But I've been involved in elections for a very long time.
But to me, right now, what we need in North
Carolina is common sense, not crazy. We need to make
sure that we have an economy that's going to work
for everybody in North Carolina. We need policies that are
going to create jobs, that are going to raise wages,
that are going to have regulatory and tax and trade
(01:47):
policies that are going to help as small businesses, our manufacturers,
our farmers, and that we're going to have somebody in
the Senate who's going to fight every day to keep
our kids in our community safe. So when I look
at the issue sets that are facing North Carolina right now,
I'm very excited about what we could do in Washington
(02:08):
and the changes that we could bring to help the
state do better.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Speaking with North Carolina Senator candidate Michael Waltley, so, look,
you've been involved in a lot of these for a
very long time, and so what's it going to be
like actually being the candidate and having someone else try
to direct you and tell you what to do? You know,
they often say doctors make the worst patience. So what's
that going to be like for you?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Well, it's very exciting, and I think ultimately, if you
look at what we did in twenty twenty four, where
the President ran on a very simple agenda of rebuilding
our economy, restoring our borders, and making sure America is
respected again around the world, you know that gives us
a template. Look, being a campaign you know, manager and
(02:55):
a consultant and a state party chair, you get a
chance to work with a lot of different campig agency
how they're going to work as a candidate. You know,
this is the first time that I've actually signed a
paper as a candidate, but the mechanics are very similar. Right,
So we're going to get out the boat. We're going
to protect the ballot. We know how to do that.
(03:15):
We've been doing it in North Carolina since twenty nineteen
when I took over as the state party chair. President
Trump ran on an agenda that is making sure that
we rebuild our ecconomy, we restore our southern border, that
we're going to be respected again around the world. Those
are very similar to the issue sets that we're going
to be running in. And I'm very fortunate that the
(03:35):
team that ran President Trump's campaign is running my campaign.
So we're going to be you know, I think unique
among candidates because we've been through this before, even though
I'm a first time candidate.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Speaking with Michael Whally here on the Breaking with Brett
Jenson's show. So before we get into the politics and
all that other stuff, can we talk about your background,
like where you're from and all that. I know you've
lived in Gason County for a very long time, but
can you just talk about your background a little bit.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, So I grew up in Blowing Rock, you know,
and my mother was in town librarian. My dad was
a CPA, and I was basically a kid raised in
the middle class. So I went to church, and I
played sports and I worked. You know, I got my
first full time job at fourteen. I managed to pay
my way through college and graduate school and law school
(04:26):
and then come back to North Carolina and really be
able to create a great career, meet a beautiful young
lady and Suzanne, get married, and raise a family. And
that's what everybody wants in North Carolina. I've lived in
North Carolina dream, the American dream, and I'm really fortunate
that I know what it's like to work. I know
(04:49):
what it's like to go to school and to be
in a position where you want to be able to
get married, by a house, raise a family. And so
I'm coming at this race with that in mind, and
I'm really excited about the opportunity that I have in
this campaign to really represent everybody in North Carolina who
(05:09):
wants to get married, wants to buy a house, wants
to raise kids, and wants to do better.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
We've spoken about your family in the past and the
support that they have for you making this venture towards
becoming a senator, But was there a specific moment that
was like, you know what, this is what I want
to do, Like, was there a very defining moment in
time that you remember when you decided you want to
run for Senate?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
You know, in terms of like being involved in politics
at a really high level. You know, when when I
when I had the conversations and was asked to run
for state party chair and rather than just being a
volunteer and a and a donor, to to really truly
get into the mechanics of the campaign and run campaigns
and help Resident Trump win North Carolina and from there
(05:55):
to go to the RNC. When Senator Phillis, you know,
said that he was going to do not run for reelect,
you know, I had a lot of people who called
me and said, hey, you need to get into this race.
And my response was pretty simple, I need to talk
to the President first. He's asked me to run the RMC.
I'm not going to go anywhere without his blessing. And
(06:16):
look at the Senate race. And so when I had
the conversation with the President and he recommended that I
looked at the race and that I run in the race,
that that really was the opportunity to say, Okay, we're
going to go do this. And I'm excited. I'm really
thrilled because you know, politics really is the art of
helping people. It's about helping communities, it's about making sure
(06:37):
that the people that you represent are in a position
to do better. And I think as the RNC Chair,
as the North Carolina Chair, I was able to help
a lot of candidates who won and have done a
lot of really great things. When you think about what
the legislature has done here in North Carolina, you think
about what the Supreme Court has done in North Carolina
(06:57):
to really create better infrastructure, create better education, to be
able to lower taxes and make North Carolina the number
one state for families and companies to move into. You know,
that's a really exciting that I was able to help
create that, and the President Trump getting him elected the
first time in twenty sixteen when I helped run his
(07:18):
campaign here in North Carolina and then re elected in
twenty twenty four as the R and T Chair, and
you just look at where America is today as opposed
to where we would be if Kamala Harrison won. I
take a lot of pride in that, But to actually
run as a campaign as a candidate is really an
exciting opportunity to be able to have a more direct
(07:41):
role in helping the people of North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
During your time as head of the RNC or ahead
of the NCGP. Is there a particular story or a
particular memory that may have been the coolest thing involving
President Trump that you are a part of.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, you know, there's so many, because I was able
to spend a lot of time with him, you know,
throughout all of the different battleground states, you know, being
with him on election night when we were backstage and
and realized that he was going to go ahead and
win this campaign. But you know, I really think that,
you know, being at a convention with him. You know,
(08:14):
it was right after he had been shot. It was
an absolute miracle that he's still alive and he had
the opportunity to give the speech and accept the nomination,
and we were we were along backstage with with Milania
and uh, you know, just to have him, you know,
really at that point you became the nominee and we're
going to go forward with it, and you realize this
(08:37):
is providential, This is a miracle because he survived that shooting,
you know, by a millimeter, and you realize how fortunate
we were as a Republican Party, how fortunate frankly we
are as a country that he was able to survive
that accept that nomination and go on, you know, to
to winning on election day.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Michael Wiley has a to stick around for one more segment,
so we appreciate that with him. So when we return,
we'll continue my conversation with Michael Wally, who is running
for Senate here in the state of North Carolina. Welcome
back to Breaking with Brad Jensen as we continue our
conversation with North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Wally. So we
spoke about your background and why you decided to run
(09:21):
during the first segment, So I want to focus in
on some of the nuts and boats in this particular segment. So,
it wasn't a good election for Republicans in Meckliberk County,
in Wake County, Democrats were really showing up in fifty
percent more, one hundred percent more, and very heavily Democrat
areas across the state. So what makes you think that
the Republicans can have a rebound and bounce back in
(09:42):
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Yeah, Look, we're in a position right now where the
ultimate question in this Senate race is are you going
to have a senator who is going to support President
Trump and the America firston agendas or are you going
to have a Senator who is going to a post
end at every turn, who was going to be a
card carrying member of the woke mob, who's going to
be a consistent, reliable vote for Truck Shumer, Ernie Sanders
(10:06):
and the rest of the woke mobs. Right. That's what
ultimately this comes down to. And I think that the
people of North Carolina, when they're faced with that decision,
are going to support President Trump again. They voted for
him in twenty sixteen, they voted for him in twenty twenty,
they voted for him in twenty twenty four. We're the
only battleground state that he carried all three times. North
(10:28):
Carolina needs a conservative champion in the Senate. President Trump
needs an ally in the Senate, and I'm going to
be that guy. So from a mechanical standpoint, what we're
going to have to do to be able to turn
out the votes is make sure people understand how important
this race is or President Trump. Even if he's not
technically on the ballot, he's going to be on the ballot,
(10:50):
and we need to make sure that all of the
conversations that we're having with voters are focused on getting
them up and getting them out. You know, it's not
enough in North Carolina for you to get one hundred
percent of the Republican vote, and we are one third,
you know, Republican, one third Democrat, one third unaffiliated, and
so you've got to be able to talk to the
(11:12):
people in the middle. You've got to be able to
talk to you know, everybody in the state can kind
of just say, hey, I'm going to go get this
thirty percent of Republican voters and be able to win
election wide. You've got to talk about the issues that
they care about. So we need in our conversations across
this state and I'll be going to all one hundred
counties to talk to them the voters, every voter about
(11:36):
the issues that they care about and put solutions on
the table.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Speaking with Michael Wally here on the Breaking with Brett
Jensen's show. So, the day that you announced that you're
running for election, Chuck Schumer's office and the DNC office
in Roy Cooper's office, as well as the Democrat Party
in North Carolina all basically put out the exact same
press release saying, oh, you used to be a lobbyist
and that proves that he is like a political insider
(12:01):
and all that other stuff. So and I remember thinking,
if that's the worst thing that you've got on, Michael Walley,
you're in big trouble. So when you hear that they
call you a political insider, what's your response to that.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Well, look, I have a lot of experience in Washington,
d C. Which I think is actually going to help.
As a senator, I have a lot of relationships within
the Trump administration. I'm very close to the President, I'm
very close to the Vice President, and can pick up
the phone and call any of our cabinet secretaries or
anybody else through the administration to help North Carolina. I
(12:36):
have a lot of relationships with the Senators, with people
in the House that are going to be very helpful
in terms of delivering for North Carolina. At the end
of the day, this position is what can you deliver
for North Carolina? You know, Roy Cooper is going to
be able to talk all day, every day with Chuck
Schumer and Bernie Sanders and AOC and Jasmine Crockett. But
(12:59):
the fact is they're not able to deliver for North Carolina,
and he won't be able to deliver for North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Speaking of Michael Wally, who's running for Senate here in
North Carolina. So Border Patrol just left the Shad area
and then went to Raleigh. What are your thoughts about
them actually being here and then in Raleigh.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
I think it's a shame that Roy Cooper vetoed two
different bills which would have forced the sheriffs in Waite County,
in Mecklenburg County, and every other county across the state
to honor the ice detainers and move violent criminal illegal
aliens out of North Carolina. And the fact is that
he has set up a revolving door in North Carolina
(13:40):
with his executive order that created Cassis Mayl, created free
trial release, and is putting criminals back on the street,
both whether they're illegal aliens or their American citizens. Right. So,
what we have is a perfect storm of crime that
is hitting Charlotte, North Carolina. The President said that he
(14:00):
was going to send in the troops here a border
patrol in order to help take these violent, criminal illegal
aliens out of the state. That's very important. I think
if Governor Cooper had not vetoed those bills, then maybe
we would not have needed that presence here in North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Speaking with North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Wantley here on
the Breaking with Brett Jensen Show. So, going forward, what
are the most important issues facing the state of North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Well, it's all about jobs in the economy, and it's
all about community stating and you think about it. What
we need are policies that are going to create jobs,
raise wages, and reduce prices. And we need to make
sure that we have an economic package. It's going to
focus on regulatory relief, tax relief, and posicians that are
(14:52):
going to create jobs here in North Carolina. We need
to make sure that we have tax relief. Roy Cooper
voted for many different tax increases as a legislator. He
vetoed six different tax cuts as a governor. He said
that he would have voted against the One Big, Beautiful
Bill which had the extension of President Trump's tax cuts,
(15:14):
no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax
on social security. So his economics package that he's going
to be voting for would actually hurt North Carolina. We
need to have trade policies that are going to help
our farmers, our manufacturers, and our small businesses. The President
is working on that all day every day. But we
really do need to create jobs, raise wages, and lower prices,
(15:39):
and then we need to keep our kids in our
community safe. And really, fundamentally, the highest priority for any
government has to be keeping its citizens safe. And Roy
Trooper has been an abject failure when it comes to crime,
when it comes to illegal aliens and making sure that
we are supporting criminal illegal aliens, and we need a
(16:00):
different direction. We cannot take what he did on crime
and the illegal aliens and promote that to the United
States Senate North.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Colin Senator A. Michael Watley, I really do appreciate you
taking the time with us tonight.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Hey, Brent's great to be with you. Really appreciate it
and really appreciate your listeners.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Again, thanks to Michael Watally for joining us tonight and
taking the time to spend two full segments with us.
All Right, when we return, we'll get into a few
other things. Rent prices are they still going up in
Charlotte and what's going on with that Michael Jordan, Denny
Hemlin lawsuit. All that coming up next News Talk eleven
ten and ninety nine three WBT Welcome back to Breaking
with Brett Jensen on this Wednesday night as we go
(16:38):
up until seven o'clock. All right, once again, I want
to say thanks to Michael Wattley, the former head of
the NCGOP, the former head of the RNC, who's now
running for North Carolina State Center or he's running for
the Senate here in North Carolina, and if he wins
his primary, then he will go against Roy Cooper in November.
(16:58):
And there's a lot that can happen in the world
of politics between now and November, over the next eleven months.
I know, right now it seems like a world of hurt.
For if you're a Republican, it feels like a world
of hurt, especially what just happened in November, especially specifically
here in Mecklamore County, as well as in Wake County
and a couple of other counties. But you know, we'll
see again. A lot could happen. Recession, can you know,
(17:21):
or I should say, inflation could go way down, pricing
could get better, interest rates could drop. A lot could
happen between now and then. I mean, just think about
everything that's happened over the last year, for goodness six
So again, a lot can actually happen, all right, So
speaking of prices going down. One of the things about Charlotte,
I remember it was like maybe eight years ago, and
(17:43):
it's been this way for a long time. There were
at any given point ten thousand apartment units being built.
At any given one apartment building would stop, would be completed,
and then another one would spring up under construction. And
because again, when you have over one hundred people every
day moving to the city of Charlotte, one hundred and
(18:03):
fifty seven, but that's like thirteen they say one hundred
and fifty seven moved to Charlotte every day, and you'll
hear that in a minute, and the reporter said the
exact correct term. She used region. One hundred and fifty
seven people moved to our region. That's like a thirteen
to fourteen county area. But over one hundred people every
day moved to Melcklomberg County and the Charlotte and Charlotte.
(18:24):
And so with that being said, you got to find
a place to put them. There just isn't there aren't
enough houses, I should say, so the rent because of that,
there were way more you know, the supply and the
demand effect, right, So rent has been extremely high and
you're going to hear about what rent is like in Charlotte,
not just houses but apartments. I mean one bedroom apartments
(18:45):
that are seven hundred and fifty square feet going for
two thousand dollars a month. I mean that that's a
lot of money. So, and that's not even like that's
in South End, like maybe in the crappy part of
South End. So and rent can be way more expended
in other places and way cheaper in other places. But
if you get cheaper rent, you might be in a
sketchy apartment, or you may have a long way to
(19:06):
drive to get to work because there will be probably
outside the city limits. As shawan. Well, with all that
being said, to talk about the rent and just the
prices that are happening here locally, here's a report from
Queen City News and Taylor Young about.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
That welcome back across so much of the US, renters
are breathing a sigh of relief.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Vacancies are on the rise, and that forces landlords to
reduce monthly rents to remain competitive.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
Yeah, our chief business corresponded Taylor Young and joining us. Now, Taylor,
this sounds sounds like good news for renters.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
I mean, any talk of prices dropping in twenty twenty five,
rent is one of them. So it's great news for renters,
and especially considering that rents have increased by thirty percent
nationally since twenty twenty, so renters have been really kind
of facing those higher prices over the last couple of years.
Where this is not just happening because landlords all of
a sudden want to give their tenants a break. It's
(19:56):
really because we have seen a massive apartment building boom
over the last couple of years. I mean, we're talking
record number of apartment units being built across the country,
especially right here in Charlotte. So we've gotten to the
point where supply is really outpacing demand right now in
many cities across the country.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Not all of them, though, all.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Right, so what kind of drop are we talking about here?
Speaker 3 (20:17):
So this is going to sound a little underwhelming, but
a drop is a drop, especially when you consider that
rent historically increases every single year by around two to
five percent. But according to apartment lists, the national medium
rent for the month of November was thirteen hundred dollars.
That's the fourth consecutive month over month drop, and it's
also a five percent decrease from that peak in twenty
(20:38):
twenty two, So you know, this might not sound like
a lot for renters, but again, this is a sign
that those kind of record high prices are behind us,
rather than prices continuing to.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Good news there.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
But as we know, not every state or every city
has the same trend.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
So what are we seeing in Charlotte. So Charlotte continues
to kind of defy a lot of the national trends,
good and bad. But you know, while Charlotte is also
one of those cities where we have seen in massive
boom in apartment units going up, if you drive around Charlotte,
I mean you see a new one on essentially every
single corner. The problem is is that the absorption rate
(21:13):
is so high because so many people continue to move here.
So we are talking about like sixteen hundred new units
being built just last year alone, and people are filling them.
So landlords don't necessarily feel the competitive nature to have
to lower rents in order to get people in. But
according to Zillo, the average rent for bedrooms for all
bedrooms in Charlotte is around one nine hundred and fifty dollars.
(21:37):
That's one dollar cheaper than last year. Okay, but we'll
keep it's going down, Taylor.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
I know, we have tons of people moving to the
Queen City each and every year, and so those filling
the apartments. But at some point, right, yeah, it has
to fall.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
I mean, yeah, you're kind of hitting the nail on
the head. So, I mean, this is all going to
come down to population growth. We are seeing one hundred
and fifty seven people move to this region every single day.
And while we do see people filling apartments, I mean
a big part of this too, is just the housing
market here as well. We had a similar conversation last
week about how home prices are falling nationally right but
(22:12):
not here in Charlotte because we have so many people
moving here. So those high housing costs are also keeping
people in apartments. So hopefully what we'll start to see,
like what we are seeing nationally, is home prices will
eventually come down. Interest rates will also come down. Maybe
some of those people that are filling apartments or in
apartments now will turn to housing, opening up some space
(22:32):
landlords will have to drop rent. But we're seeing it
nationally eventually, I do think we will start seeing it
here again.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Thanks to Quincity News for that report and to Taylor
for breaking that down, because look, you know home prices
and rent and everything else. I mean, look, Charlotte. Charlotte
is a city that obviously when I say one hundred
and fifty seven people are moving to our region, and
you heard Taylor say that, but it's really about one
hundred people every day moving to Meclimore County slash Charlott
(23:00):
and where you're gonna put them? And that's why you
go anywhere near Uptown, you go in South Park, you
go down in Valentine, you go anywhere, and apartments are
springing up all over the place. And guess what, there
was way more demand than there was supply, so people
could get, you know, get away with charging ridiculous prices,
ridiculous prices more than a lot of case mortgages. And
(23:23):
if interest rates go down and houses become more affordable,
then a lot of these people maybe start buying houses
instead of just running apartments. But again it's but this
is Charlotte. It's not the nation. This is specifically Charlotte. Okay,
when we come back the Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR
federal lawsuit that's happening here in Charlotte and there's a
(23:43):
lot going on, and I think you're gonna actually be
interested in what's actually happening and what's actually at stake.
So we'll talk about that when we return. Welcome back
to Breaking with Brett Jensen for a few more minutes
here on this Wednesday night edition a Breaking with Brett Jenson,
as we go up until seven o'clock, just a few
more minutes from now. All right, seven four or five,
(24:05):
seven eleven, ten is always the telephone number to call
into the station. That is also the WBT text line,
of course, driven by Liberty Buick and gmc guys. You
really need to follow me on exit. Brett underscored Jensen
for all the latest and breaking news in and around
the Charlotte area. Okay, so one of the big things
that is gaining a lot of national attention is the
(24:27):
lawsuit with Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin against NASCAR. Now,
I will tell you back in the day, I used
to actually have to cover Nascar. I was like a
beat writer. I covered a lot. Specifically, I was covering
like the Dale Jared stuff. His shop was up there
near the Hickory area, and I was covering it, and
you know, and that was the year that he won
the championship, or yeah, it was the year that he
(24:48):
won the championship, the points championship, And I was actually
covering specifically him, Nascar Sorda as a whole, but really
specifically Dale Jared and a super nice guy and I
got to know his son and everything else. Well, I
will tell you what, right now, this NASCAR thing is big,
and it is so big that this could be the
(25:08):
end of NASCAR as we know it. And that's not
necessarily a bad thing. NASCAR is not sustainable the way
it is, and it hasn't been this way for a
very long time. And I never understood how a family
controlled an entire sport. Can you imagine a family controlling
the NFL or the NBA or something like that, NHL, MLS,
whatever the case may be, an actual family passed down
(25:31):
from generation to generation to generation. Well, that may be
coming to an end because Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin
they have gotten together with their race NASCAR team and
they're suing NASCAR. And I will tell you a lot
of the experts thinks that Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin
they're going to win and potentially be owed hundreds of
millions of dollars paid out to a lot of the owners.
(25:54):
So this is a big deal. And so in order
to get a full grasp on what's happening, here's a really,
really good report from Queen's City News about the actual
trial that's going on and the ramifications.
Speaker 6 (26:07):
Two days in. But it's been an action pack two days.
We had to bring in an old friend who has
a front row seat to everything going on into the
court room.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
NIC's punned by the way megan his return to CSL
none other than motorsports reporter and NASCAR insider Jordan Bionki
of The Athletic Jordan, we appreciate you stopping by.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
What is a busier time than normal for everybody in
the sport, right, what off season.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Right, there's nothing going on that track.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
No.
Speaker 7 (26:28):
What's going on in the courtroom though, is Honestly, it
has be more impactful than what's actually going on in
the track this year, and that's been the overriding story
throughout the season has been what happens with this lawsuit.
In the last few days has become very clear this
is going to be a mess. This is going to
be dramatic, and the potential implications on the sport long
term are significant.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Let's go in and get right down to it.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
I mean, Danny Hallin had the stand for more than
three hours this morning to continue the testimony that began
at the end of the day yesterday.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Now you know him well, we've gotten to know him.
Speaker 6 (26:56):
He's a man that it will truly speak his mind
and that is certainly evident throughout today, even saying that
he felt signing NASCAR's charter agreement would be a death
certificate for his team's future. What are some of your
other key takeaways from what Hamiley had to say Todadria that.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Test it's very emotional.
Speaker 7 (27:08):
I mean yesterday when he started his testimony, you know
he was crying when he's talking about his father who's
really ill. And then today a lot of anger, animosity.
He's been very outspoken. He's not happy with NASCAR. He's
very bitter towards NASCAR. There's a lot of hurt feelings
about NASCAR.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
He wants to.
Speaker 7 (27:22):
See a leadership change, and it was very clear today
like he is all in on this, like this is
personal almost to him and how he wants to resolve this.
This isn't something that they're looking for a settlement, they
want to get to this the finish line, and they
believe they can win.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
It was very clear today Hamlin is in it to win. It.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
Obviously a lot of emotion, as you just mentioned in
the courtroom, Denny breaking down yesterday, Today's seeming more frustrated
during cross examination. But overall there's a ton of tensions
surrounding this and that's not really new. But how much
does emotion play a factor in this trial?
Speaker 7 (27:50):
Well, there's a lot of it, and you know there's
times today where Denny was very emotional and very adamant,
and it was kind of like riding a roller coaster
and that sometimes you're like, WHOA, is that too much emotion?
But I think that also a motion can be considered passion, right,
and that this is somebody's very passionate. He's got a business,
he's a business owner, he wants it. He's put a
lot of time and energy and resources into this and
he doesn't want to see this fail. And it means
a lot to him to not see this go away
(28:13):
because of mistakes that he feels.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Like others are making.
Speaker 7 (28:15):
So it's gonna be interesting how you harness that because
that can override and sometimes before jury, your emotion can
get the better of you. But so far it seems
like the jury has been responsive to that.
Speaker 6 (28:25):
Yeah, I've been locked into the tear down you and
Jeff always doing a great job. I want to give
back to a point that you made on Monday. Having
an attorney like Jeffrey Kessel, who's representing twenty three eleven
NFRIM in this case, what kind of lasting impact can
he have as this thing plays out? When you think
about just having a lower that can kind of sway
things one kind of way.
Speaker 7 (28:40):
It's interesting to watch him because it's kind of like
watching like somebody paint a picture, right, a picassomos. This
guy is so good and the way he sets up people.
And today, for example, he was he was examining a
NASCAR executive and just kind of setting him up with
questions and just grinding him down with different things he
was saying and getting to the point of what he
wants to say. And he has a really good connection
rapport he's developed with a jury. Already made a couple
(29:02):
of jokes kind of self deprecatting humor. This guy is
a masterclass in what he's doing.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Now we know the outcome of this trial will have
a lasting effect on the sport no matter how things end.
In addition to just the charters, what all is at
stake for not just the two teams fighting NASCAR, but
each organization within the sport huge.
Speaker 7 (29:20):
I mean, the ramifications for this are really significant. I mean,
if this either way this goes, whether NASCAR wins or
twenty three eleven wins, NASCAR is going to be fundamentally
changed probably forever. If NASCAR wins, okay, that's great, they
can move forward, but you're also going to probably lose
Michael Jordan's team, right, which is a huge blow. And
then if twenty three to eleven wins, this gets to
your point more. The significance is huge, and that NASCAR
(29:42):
could have to diversify its tracks, It may have to
pay hundreds of million dollars in damages, which are going
to affect what it can do going forward in terms
of trying to grow the sport.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
It could be forced to sell.
Speaker 7 (29:51):
I mean, there's all sorts of things that happen in
a case like this where the implications are far reaching.
What we do know, though, is if NASCAR loses the
consequences are going to be dire.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
But even if there's a settlement, there's still going to
be tension.
Speaker 7 (30:03):
Oh, I mean absolutely, there's gonna be TENSI You're probably
gonna lose Michael Jordan's team, and there's all sorts of
things on this and how do you get override this.
We talked about the beginning of the segment, right this.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
All year long? Really what people weren't talking about what
was going on the raceTo. It's all about this, it.
Speaker 7 (30:18):
Percent and it was always this big shadow that cast
over this and how this went, and it didn't matter
what was happening was I was like, well, what the lawsuit?
Speaker 1 (30:25):
When's this gonna happen? There's always things going on.
Speaker 7 (30:27):
And the other thing too is we hope to have
a resolution to this in the next two weeks or so,
but there's probably gonna be appeal, so it's going to
carry over to next year as well.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Yeah, certainly some lasting effects.
Speaker 6 (30:36):
Jordan BIACKI always somebody can count on with all the
insider info. He'll be back with us tomorrow night for
a wrap of day three.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
But again thanks to Queen City News for that report.
And I will tell you I used to be a
big NASCAR fan back in the eighties and in the nineties,
and then in the mid two thousands I stopped. I mean,
Jimmy Johnson's super nice guy when he won those seven championships,
and he's like melbotosed, he's motos. He was dry and
boring and had no personality. And that's pretty much how
(31:03):
every single driver was in the two thousands and all
through the twenty tens as well. And I gotta be
honest with you, I haven't followed NASCAR probably in the
last you know what, eight years, nine years or so.
I just don't follow it because I find it extremely boring.
And I will also tell you this that I never
understood how a family could own an entire sport and
(31:24):
if you didn't go by the family's rules, you're out.
You're out, not like the NFL or anything like that.
So you know what, I actually think this is a
good thing for NASCAR. And the reason I say that
is because the way NASCAR has been going over the
last fifteen twenty years, it was going to implode. They
just the teams weren't making enough money. There aren't enough
(31:46):
advertisers and sponsors out there to make everything afloat and
make things profitable. And yes, I know these drivers are
making millions and millions and millions of dollars and everything else.
I get that. But again, but the team, if you
are an upstart or you're a newcomer or whatever, you
got zero chance, like zero chance of basically trying to
be successful. So I actually like this, and I hope
(32:09):
NASCAR has to pay out a lot of people. To
be perfectly honest with you, I really do. And I
just have never liked the way NASCAR was ran. I've
never liked it, never liked it, never liked it. So
a lot of the experts think that Michael Jordan and
Denny Hamler are gonna win and that will forever change NASCAR.
All right, that's gonna do it for us tonight. Again,
thanks to Michael Waally for taking the time to spend
(32:30):
two segments with me earlier tonight. And again, a lot
of going on in that North Carolina Senate race, and
we'll be talking about that for a long time between
now and November. A lot going on over the next
eleven months. All right, everyone, that's gonna do it for
us tonight. Have a great night, everyone. I look forward
to talking to you again tomorrow. My name is Brett
Jensen and you have been listening to Breaking with Brett
(32:51):
Jenson
News Talk eleven ten and nine to nine three WBT.
Bret Jenson here with you on this action packed edition
of Breaking with Brett Jensen on this Wednesday night, as
we go up until seven o'clock seven oh four or
five seven to eleven ten is the telephone number as always.
That is also the WBT text line, which of course
is driven by Buick Liberty and GMC and guys follow
(00:20):
me on except Brent Underscore Jensen for all the latest
and breaking news in and around the Charlotte area. Okay,
so we've got a lot to get into tonight, but
we're just going to jump straight into it because I've
got a special guest with us for the first half
of the show, and that is Michael Waltley, who has
officially filed to run for Senate for the state of
North Carolina. And you may know him as the head
(00:41):
of the RNC or the head of the NCGP, or
maybe just as a resident of Gaston County. So, first
of all, Michael, I do appreciate you joining us tonight.
And second of all, what was it like when you
were actually filing your name at the North Carolina Board
of Elections as a first time candidate? You've been involved
in paulic for a very long time, but this is
your first time as a candidate. What was that like
(01:04):
setting your name?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Well, it's very exciting. You know, this is a great
opportunity to have, you know, a campaign in a race
where we can go out there and we can talk
about the issues that matter for North Carolina. We can
talk about putting issues on our solutions on the table.
And it's the first time I've done it as a candidate.
(01:25):
But I've been involved in elections for a very long time.
But to me, right now, what we need in North
Carolina is common sense, not crazy. We need to make
sure that we have an economy that's going to work
for everybody in North Carolina. We need policies that are
going to create jobs, that are going to raise wages,
that are going to have regulatory and tax and trade
(01:47):
policies that are going to help as small businesses, our manufacturers,
our farmers, and that we're going to have somebody in
the Senate who's going to fight every day to keep
our kids in our community safe. So when I look
at the issue sets that are facing North Carolina right now,
I'm very excited about what we could do in Washington
(02:08):
and the changes that we could bring to help the
state do better.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Speaking with North Carolina Senator candidate Michael Waltley, so, look,
you've been involved in a lot of these for a
very long time, and so what's it going to be
like actually being the candidate and having someone else try
to direct you and tell you what to do? You know,
they often say doctors make the worst patience. So what's
that going to be like for you?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Well, it's very exciting, and I think ultimately, if you
look at what we did in twenty twenty four, where
the President ran on a very simple agenda of rebuilding
our economy, restoring our borders, and making sure America is
respected again around the world, you know that gives us
a template. Look, being a campaign you know, manager and
(02:55):
a consultant and a state party chair, you get a
chance to work with a lot of different campig agency
how they're going to work as a candidate. You know,
this is the first time that I've actually signed a
paper as a candidate, but the mechanics are very similar. Right,
So we're going to get out the boat. We're going
to protect the ballot. We know how to do that.
(03:15):
We've been doing it in North Carolina since twenty nineteen
when I took over as the state party chair. President
Trump ran on an agenda that is making sure that
we rebuild our ecconomy, we restore our southern border, that
we're going to be respected again around the world. Those
are very similar to the issue sets that we're going
to be running in. And I'm very fortunate that the
(03:35):
team that ran President Trump's campaign is running my campaign.
So we're going to be you know, I think unique
among candidates because we've been through this before, even though
I'm a first time candidate.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Speaking with Michael Whally here on the Breaking with Brett
Jenson's show. So before we get into the politics and
all that other stuff, can we talk about your background,
like where you're from and all that. I know you've
lived in Gason County for a very long time, but
can you just talk about your background a little bit.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, So I grew up in Blowing Rock, you know,
and my mother was in town librarian. My dad was
a CPA, and I was basically a kid raised in
the middle class. So I went to church, and I
played sports and I worked. You know, I got my
first full time job at fourteen. I managed to pay
my way through college and graduate school and law school
(04:26):
and then come back to North Carolina and really be
able to create a great career, meet a beautiful young
lady and Suzanne, get married, and raise a family. And
that's what everybody wants in North Carolina. I've lived in
North Carolina dream, the American dream, and I'm really fortunate
that I know what it's like to work. I know
(04:49):
what it's like to go to school and to be
in a position where you want to be able to
get married, by a house, raise a family. And so
I'm coming at this race with that in mind, and
I'm really excited about the opportunity that I have in
this campaign to really represent everybody in North Carolina who
(05:09):
wants to get married, wants to buy a house, wants
to raise kids, and wants to do better.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
We've spoken about your family in the past and the
support that they have for you making this venture towards
becoming a senator, But was there a specific moment that
was like, you know what, this is what I want
to do, Like, was there a very defining moment in
time that you remember when you decided you want to
run for Senate?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
You know, in terms of like being involved in politics
at a really high level. You know, when when I
when I had the conversations and was asked to run
for state party chair and rather than just being a
volunteer and a and a donor, to to really truly
get into the mechanics of the campaign and run campaigns
and help Resident Trump win North Carolina and from there
(05:55):
to go to the RNC. When Senator Phillis, you know,
said that he was going to do not run for reelect,
you know, I had a lot of people who called
me and said, hey, you need to get into this race.
And my response was pretty simple, I need to talk
to the President first. He's asked me to run the RMC.
I'm not going to go anywhere without his blessing. And
(06:16):
look at the Senate race. And so when I had
the conversation with the President and he recommended that I
looked at the race and that I run in the race,
that that really was the opportunity to say, Okay, we're
going to go do this. And I'm excited. I'm really
thrilled because you know, politics really is the art of
helping people. It's about helping communities, it's about making sure
(06:37):
that the people that you represent are in a position
to do better. And I think as the RNC Chair,
as the North Carolina Chair, I was able to help
a lot of candidates who won and have done a
lot of really great things. When you think about what
the legislature has done here in North Carolina, you think
about what the Supreme Court has done in North Carolina
(06:57):
to really create better infrastructure, create better education, to be
able to lower taxes and make North Carolina the number
one state for families and companies to move into. You know,
that's a really exciting that I was able to help
create that, and the President Trump getting him elected the
first time in twenty sixteen when I helped run his
(07:18):
campaign here in North Carolina and then re elected in
twenty twenty four as the R and T Chair, and
you just look at where America is today as opposed
to where we would be if Kamala Harrison won. I
take a lot of pride in that, But to actually
run as a campaign as a candidate is really an
exciting opportunity to be able to have a more direct
(07:41):
role in helping the people of North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
During your time as head of the RNC or ahead
of the NCGP. Is there a particular story or a
particular memory that may have been the coolest thing involving
President Trump that you are a part of.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, you know, there's so many, because I was able
to spend a lot of time with him, you know,
throughout all of the different battleground states, you know, being
with him on election night when we were backstage and
and realized that he was going to go ahead and
win this campaign. But you know, I really think that,
you know, being at a convention with him. You know,
(08:14):
it was right after he had been shot. It was
an absolute miracle that he's still alive and he had
the opportunity to give the speech and accept the nomination,
and we were we were along backstage with with Milania
and uh, you know, just to have him, you know,
really at that point you became the nominee and we're
going to go forward with it, and you realize this
(08:37):
is providential, This is a miracle because he survived that shooting,
you know, by a millimeter, and you realize how fortunate
we were as a Republican Party, how fortunate frankly we
are as a country that he was able to survive
that accept that nomination and go on, you know, to
to winning on election day.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Michael Wiley has a to stick around for one more segment,
so we appreciate that with him. So when we return,
we'll continue my conversation with Michael Wally, who is running
for Senate here in the state of North Carolina. Welcome
back to Breaking with Brad Jensen as we continue our
conversation with North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Wally. So we
spoke about your background and why you decided to run
(09:21):
during the first segment, So I want to focus in
on some of the nuts and boats in this particular segment. So,
it wasn't a good election for Republicans in Meckliberk County,
in Wake County, Democrats were really showing up in fifty
percent more, one hundred percent more, and very heavily Democrat
areas across the state. So what makes you think that
the Republicans can have a rebound and bounce back in
(09:42):
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Yeah, Look, we're in a position right now where the
ultimate question in this Senate race is are you going
to have a senator who is going to support President
Trump and the America firston agendas or are you going
to have a Senator who is going to a post
end at every turn, who was going to be a
card carrying member of the woke mob, who's going to
be a consistent, reliable vote for Truck Shumer, Ernie Sanders
(10:06):
and the rest of the woke mobs. Right. That's what
ultimately this comes down to. And I think that the
people of North Carolina, when they're faced with that decision,
are going to support President Trump again. They voted for
him in twenty sixteen, they voted for him in twenty twenty,
they voted for him in twenty twenty four. We're the
only battleground state that he carried all three times. North
(10:28):
Carolina needs a conservative champion in the Senate. President Trump
needs an ally in the Senate, and I'm going to
be that guy. So from a mechanical standpoint, what we're
going to have to do to be able to turn
out the votes is make sure people understand how important
this race is or President Trump. Even if he's not
technically on the ballot, he's going to be on the ballot,
(10:50):
and we need to make sure that all of the
conversations that we're having with voters are focused on getting
them up and getting them out. You know, it's not
enough in North Carolina for you to get one hundred
percent of the Republican vote, and we are one third,
you know, Republican, one third Democrat, one third unaffiliated, and
so you've got to be able to talk to the
(11:12):
people in the middle. You've got to be able to
talk to you know, everybody in the state can kind
of just say, hey, I'm going to go get this
thirty percent of Republican voters and be able to win
election wide. You've got to talk about the issues that
they care about. So we need in our conversations across
this state and I'll be going to all one hundred
counties to talk to them the voters, every voter about
(11:36):
the issues that they care about and put solutions on
the table.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Speaking with Michael Wally here on the Breaking with Brett
Jensen's show. So, the day that you announced that you're
running for election, Chuck Schumer's office and the DNC office
in Roy Cooper's office, as well as the Democrat Party
in North Carolina all basically put out the exact same
press release saying, oh, you used to be a lobbyist
and that proves that he is like a political insider
(12:01):
and all that other stuff. So and I remember thinking,
if that's the worst thing that you've got on, Michael Walley,
you're in big trouble. So when you hear that they
call you a political insider, what's your response to that.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Well, look, I have a lot of experience in Washington,
d C. Which I think is actually going to help.
As a senator, I have a lot of relationships within
the Trump administration. I'm very close to the President, I'm
very close to the Vice President, and can pick up
the phone and call any of our cabinet secretaries or
anybody else through the administration to help North Carolina. I
(12:36):
have a lot of relationships with the Senators, with people
in the House that are going to be very helpful
in terms of delivering for North Carolina. At the end
of the day, this position is what can you deliver
for North Carolina? You know, Roy Cooper is going to
be able to talk all day, every day with Chuck
Schumer and Bernie Sanders and AOC and Jasmine Crockett. But
(12:59):
the fact is they're not able to deliver for North Carolina,
and he won't be able to deliver for North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Speaking of Michael Wally, who's running for Senate here in
North Carolina. So Border Patrol just left the Shad area
and then went to Raleigh. What are your thoughts about
them actually being here and then in Raleigh.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
I think it's a shame that Roy Cooper vetoed two
different bills which would have forced the sheriffs in Waite County,
in Mecklenburg County, and every other county across the state
to honor the ice detainers and move violent criminal illegal
aliens out of North Carolina. And the fact is that
he has set up a revolving door in North Carolina
(13:40):
with his executive order that created Cassis Mayl, created free
trial release, and is putting criminals back on the street,
both whether they're illegal aliens or their American citizens. Right. So,
what we have is a perfect storm of crime that
is hitting Charlotte, North Carolina. The President said that he
(14:00):
was going to send in the troops here a border
patrol in order to help take these violent, criminal illegal
aliens out of the state. That's very important. I think
if Governor Cooper had not vetoed those bills, then maybe
we would not have needed that presence here in North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
Speaking with North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Wantley here on
the Breaking with Brett Jensen Show. So, going forward, what
are the most important issues facing the state of North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Well, it's all about jobs in the economy, and it's
all about community stating and you think about it. What
we need are policies that are going to create jobs,
raise wages, and reduce prices. And we need to make
sure that we have an economic package. It's going to
focus on regulatory relief, tax relief, and posicians that are
(14:52):
going to create jobs here in North Carolina. We need
to make sure that we have tax relief. Roy Cooper
voted for many different tax increases as a legislator. He
vetoed six different tax cuts as a governor. He said
that he would have voted against the One Big, Beautiful
Bill which had the extension of President Trump's tax cuts,
(15:14):
no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax
on social security. So his economics package that he's going
to be voting for would actually hurt North Carolina. We
need to have trade policies that are going to help
our farmers, our manufacturers, and our small businesses. The President
is working on that all day every day. But we
really do need to create jobs, raise wages, and lower prices,
(15:39):
and then we need to keep our kids in our
community safe. And really, fundamentally, the highest priority for any
government has to be keeping its citizens safe. And Roy
Trooper has been an abject failure when it comes to crime,
when it comes to illegal aliens and making sure that
we are supporting criminal illegal aliens, and we need a
(16:00):
different direction. We cannot take what he did on crime
and the illegal aliens and promote that to the United
States Senate North.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Colin Senator A. Michael Watley, I really do appreciate you
taking the time with us tonight.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Hey, Brent's great to be with you. Really appreciate it
and really appreciate your listeners.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Again, thanks to Michael Watally for joining us tonight and
taking the time to spend two full segments with us.
All Right, when we return, we'll get into a few
other things. Rent prices are they still going up in
Charlotte and what's going on with that Michael Jordan, Denny
Hemlin lawsuit. All that coming up next News Talk eleven
ten and ninety nine three WBT Welcome back to Breaking
with Brett Jensen on this Wednesday night as we go
(16:38):
up until seven o'clock. All right, once again, I want
to say thanks to Michael Wattley, the former head of
the NCGOP, the former head of the RNC, who's now
running for North Carolina State Center or he's running for
the Senate here in North Carolina, and if he wins
his primary, then he will go against Roy Cooper in November.
(16:58):
And there's a lot that can happen in the world
of politics between now and November, over the next eleven months.
I know, right now it seems like a world of hurt.
For if you're a Republican, it feels like a world
of hurt, especially what just happened in November, especially specifically
here in Mecklamore County, as well as in Wake County
and a couple of other counties. But you know, we'll
see again. A lot could happen. Recession, can you know,
(17:21):
or I should say, inflation could go way down, pricing
could get better, interest rates could drop. A lot could
happen between now and then. I mean, just think about
everything that's happened over the last year, for goodness six
So again, a lot can actually happen, all right, So
speaking of prices going down. One of the things about Charlotte,
I remember it was like maybe eight years ago, and
(17:43):
it's been this way for a long time. There were
at any given point ten thousand apartment units being built.
At any given one apartment building would stop, would be completed,
and then another one would spring up under construction. And
because again, when you have over one hundred people every
day moving to the city of Charlotte, one hundred and
(18:03):
fifty seven, but that's like thirteen they say one hundred
and fifty seven moved to Charlotte every day, and you'll
hear that in a minute, and the reporter said the
exact correct term. She used region. One hundred and fifty
seven people moved to our region. That's like a thirteen
to fourteen county area. But over one hundred people every
day moved to Melcklomberg County and the Charlotte and Charlotte.
(18:24):
And so with that being said, you got to find
a place to put them. There just isn't there aren't
enough houses, I should say, so the rent because of that,
there were way more you know, the supply and the
demand effect, right, So rent has been extremely high and
you're going to hear about what rent is like in Charlotte,
not just houses but apartments. I mean one bedroom apartments
(18:45):
that are seven hundred and fifty square feet going for
two thousand dollars a month. I mean that that's a
lot of money. So, and that's not even like that's
in South End, like maybe in the crappy part of
South End. So and rent can be way more expended
in other places and way cheaper in other places. But
if you get cheaper rent, you might be in a
sketchy apartment, or you may have a long way to
(19:06):
drive to get to work because there will be probably
outside the city limits. As shawan. Well, with all that
being said, to talk about the rent and just the
prices that are happening here locally, here's a report from
Queen City News and Taylor Young about.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
That welcome back across so much of the US, renters
are breathing a sigh of relief.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Vacancies are on the rise, and that forces landlords to
reduce monthly rents to remain competitive.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
Yeah, our chief business corresponded Taylor Young and joining us. Now, Taylor,
this sounds sounds like good news for renters.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
I mean, any talk of prices dropping in twenty twenty five,
rent is one of them. So it's great news for renters,
and especially considering that rents have increased by thirty percent
nationally since twenty twenty, so renters have been really kind
of facing those higher prices over the last couple of years.
Where this is not just happening because landlords all of
a sudden want to give their tenants a break. It's
(19:56):
really because we have seen a massive apartment building boom
over the last couple of years. I mean, we're talking
record number of apartment units being built across the country,
especially right here in Charlotte. So we've gotten to the
point where supply is really outpacing demand right now in
many cities across the country.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Not all of them, though, all.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Right, so what kind of drop are we talking about here?
Speaker 3 (20:17):
So this is going to sound a little underwhelming, but
a drop is a drop, especially when you consider that
rent historically increases every single year by around two to
five percent. But according to apartment lists, the national medium
rent for the month of November was thirteen hundred dollars.
That's the fourth consecutive month over month drop, and it's
also a five percent decrease from that peak in twenty
(20:38):
twenty two, So you know, this might not sound like
a lot for renters, but again, this is a sign
that those kind of record high prices are behind us,
rather than prices continuing to.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Good news there.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
But as we know, not every state or every city
has the same trend.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
So what are we seeing in Charlotte. So Charlotte continues
to kind of defy a lot of the national trends,
good and bad. But you know, while Charlotte is also
one of those cities where we have seen in massive
boom in apartment units going up, if you drive around Charlotte,
I mean you see a new one on essentially every
single corner. The problem is is that the absorption rate
(21:13):
is so high because so many people continue to move here.
So we are talking about like sixteen hundred new units
being built just last year alone, and people are filling them.
So landlords don't necessarily feel the competitive nature to have
to lower rents in order to get people in. But
according to Zillo, the average rent for bedrooms for all
bedrooms in Charlotte is around one nine hundred and fifty dollars.
(21:37):
That's one dollar cheaper than last year. Okay, but we'll
keep it's going down, Taylor.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
I know, we have tons of people moving to the
Queen City each and every year, and so those filling
the apartments. But at some point, right, yeah, it has
to fall.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
I mean, yeah, you're kind of hitting the nail on
the head. So, I mean, this is all going to
come down to population growth. We are seeing one hundred
and fifty seven people move to this region every single day.
And while we do see people filling apartments, I mean
a big part of this too, is just the housing
market here as well. We had a similar conversation last
week about how home prices are falling nationally right but
(22:12):
not here in Charlotte because we have so many people
moving here. So those high housing costs are also keeping
people in apartments. So hopefully what we'll start to see,
like what we are seeing nationally, is home prices will
eventually come down. Interest rates will also come down. Maybe
some of those people that are filling apartments or in
apartments now will turn to housing, opening up some space
(22:32):
landlords will have to drop rent. But we're seeing it
nationally eventually, I do think we will start seeing it
here again.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Thanks to Quincity News for that report and to Taylor
for breaking that down, because look, you know home prices
and rent and everything else. I mean, look, Charlotte. Charlotte
is a city that obviously when I say one hundred
and fifty seven people are moving to our region, and
you heard Taylor say that, but it's really about one
hundred people every day moving to Meclimore County slash Charlott
(23:00):
and where you're gonna put them? And that's why you
go anywhere near Uptown, you go in South Park, you
go down in Valentine, you go anywhere, and apartments are
springing up all over the place. And guess what, there
was way more demand than there was supply, so people
could get, you know, get away with charging ridiculous prices,
ridiculous prices more than a lot of case mortgages. And
(23:23):
if interest rates go down and houses become more affordable,
then a lot of these people maybe start buying houses
instead of just running apartments. But again it's but this
is Charlotte. It's not the nation. This is specifically Charlotte. Okay,
when we come back the Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR
federal lawsuit that's happening here in Charlotte and there's a
(23:43):
lot going on, and I think you're gonna actually be
interested in what's actually happening and what's actually at stake.
So we'll talk about that when we return. Welcome back
to Breaking with Brett Jensen for a few more minutes
here on this Wednesday night edition a Breaking with Brett Jenson,
as we go up until seven o'clock, just a few
more minutes from now. All right, seven four or five,
(24:05):
seven eleven, ten is always the telephone number to call
into the station. That is also the WBT text line,
of course, driven by Liberty Buick and gmc guys. You
really need to follow me on exit. Brett underscored Jensen
for all the latest and breaking news in and around
the Charlotte area. Okay, so one of the big things
that is gaining a lot of national attention is the
(24:27):
lawsuit with Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin against NASCAR. Now,
I will tell you back in the day, I used
to actually have to cover Nascar. I was like a
beat writer. I covered a lot. Specifically, I was covering
like the Dale Jared stuff. His shop was up there
near the Hickory area, and I was covering it, and
you know, and that was the year that he won
the championship, or yeah, it was the year that he
(24:48):
won the championship, the points championship, And I was actually
covering specifically him, Nascar Sorda as a whole, but really
specifically Dale Jared and a super nice guy and I
got to know his son and everything else. Well, I
will tell you what, right now, this NASCAR thing is big,
and it is so big that this could be the
(25:08):
end of NASCAR as we know it. And that's not
necessarily a bad thing. NASCAR is not sustainable the way
it is, and it hasn't been this way for a
very long time. And I never understood how a family
controlled an entire sport. Can you imagine a family controlling
the NFL or the NBA or something like that, NHL, MLS,
whatever the case may be, an actual family passed down
(25:31):
from generation to generation to generation. Well, that may be
coming to an end because Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin
they have gotten together with their race NASCAR team and
they're suing NASCAR. And I will tell you a lot
of the experts thinks that Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin
they're going to win and potentially be owed hundreds of
millions of dollars paid out to a lot of the owners.
(25:54):
So this is a big deal. And so in order
to get a full grasp on what's happening, here's a really,
really good report from Queen's City News about the actual
trial that's going on and the ramifications.
Speaker 6 (26:07):
Two days in. But it's been an action pack two days.
We had to bring in an old friend who has
a front row seat to everything going on into the
court room.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
NIC's punned by the way megan his return to CSL
none other than motorsports reporter and NASCAR insider Jordan Bionki
of The Athletic Jordan, we appreciate you stopping by.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
What is a busier time than normal for everybody in
the sport, right, what off season.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Right, there's nothing going on that track.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
No.
Speaker 7 (26:28):
What's going on in the courtroom though, is Honestly, it
has be more impactful than what's actually going on in
the track this year, and that's been the overriding story
throughout the season has been what happens with this lawsuit.
In the last few days has become very clear this
is going to be a mess. This is going to
be dramatic, and the potential implications on the sport long
term are significant.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Let's go in and get right down to it.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
I mean, Danny Hallin had the stand for more than
three hours this morning to continue the testimony that began
at the end of the day yesterday.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Now you know him well, we've gotten to know him.
Speaker 6 (26:56):
He's a man that it will truly speak his mind
and that is certainly evident throughout today, even saying that
he felt signing NASCAR's charter agreement would be a death
certificate for his team's future. What are some of your
other key takeaways from what Hamiley had to say Todadria that.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Test it's very emotional.
Speaker 7 (27:08):
I mean yesterday when he started his testimony, you know
he was crying when he's talking about his father who's
really ill. And then today a lot of anger, animosity.
He's been very outspoken. He's not happy with NASCAR. He's
very bitter towards NASCAR. There's a lot of hurt feelings
about NASCAR.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
He wants to.
Speaker 7 (27:22):
See a leadership change, and it was very clear today
like he is all in on this, like this is
personal almost to him and how he wants to resolve this.
This isn't something that they're looking for a settlement, they
want to get to this the finish line, and they
believe they can win.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
It was very clear today Hamlin is in it to win. It.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
Obviously a lot of emotion, as you just mentioned in
the courtroom, Denny breaking down yesterday, Today's seeming more frustrated
during cross examination. But overall there's a ton of tensions
surrounding this and that's not really new. But how much
does emotion play a factor in this trial?
Speaker 7 (27:50):
Well, there's a lot of it, and you know there's
times today where Denny was very emotional and very adamant,
and it was kind of like riding a roller coaster
and that sometimes you're like, WHOA, is that too much emotion?
But I think that also a motion can be considered passion, right,
and that this is somebody's very passionate. He's got a business,
he's a business owner, he wants it. He's put a
lot of time and energy and resources into this and
he doesn't want to see this fail. And it means
a lot to him to not see this go away
(28:13):
because of mistakes that he feels.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Like others are making.
Speaker 7 (28:15):
So it's gonna be interesting how you harness that because
that can override and sometimes before jury, your emotion can
get the better of you. But so far it seems
like the jury has been responsive to that.
Speaker 6 (28:25):
Yeah, I've been locked into the tear down you and
Jeff always doing a great job. I want to give
back to a point that you made on Monday. Having
an attorney like Jeffrey Kessel, who's representing twenty three eleven
NFRIM in this case, what kind of lasting impact can
he have as this thing plays out? When you think
about just having a lower that can kind of sway
things one kind of way.
Speaker 7 (28:40):
It's interesting to watch him because it's kind of like
watching like somebody paint a picture, right, a picassomos. This
guy is so good and the way he sets up people.
And today, for example, he was he was examining a
NASCAR executive and just kind of setting him up with
questions and just grinding him down with different things he
was saying and getting to the point of what he
wants to say. And he has a really good connection
rapport he's developed with a jury. Already made a couple
(29:02):
of jokes kind of self deprecatting humor. This guy is
a masterclass in what he's doing.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Now we know the outcome of this trial will have
a lasting effect on the sport no matter how things end.
In addition to just the charters, what all is at
stake for not just the two teams fighting NASCAR, but
each organization within the sport huge.
Speaker 7 (29:20):
I mean, the ramifications for this are really significant. I mean,
if this either way this goes, whether NASCAR wins or
twenty three eleven wins, NASCAR is going to be fundamentally
changed probably forever. If NASCAR wins, okay, that's great, they
can move forward, but you're also going to probably lose
Michael Jordan's team, right, which is a huge blow. And
then if twenty three to eleven wins, this gets to
your point more. The significance is huge, and that NASCAR
(29:42):
could have to diversify its tracks, It may have to
pay hundreds of million dollars in damages, which are going
to affect what it can do going forward in terms
of trying to grow the sport.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
It could be forced to sell.
Speaker 7 (29:51):
I mean, there's all sorts of things that happen in
a case like this where the implications are far reaching.
What we do know, though, is if NASCAR loses the
consequences are going to be dire.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
But even if there's a settlement, there's still going to
be tension.
Speaker 7 (30:03):
Oh, I mean absolutely, there's gonna be TENSI You're probably
gonna lose Michael Jordan's team, and there's all sorts of
things on this and how do you get override this.
We talked about the beginning of the segment, right this.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
All year long? Really what people weren't talking about what
was going on the raceTo. It's all about this, it.
Speaker 7 (30:18):
Percent and it was always this big shadow that cast
over this and how this went, and it didn't matter
what was happening was I was like, well, what the lawsuit?
Speaker 1 (30:25):
When's this gonna happen? There's always things going on.
Speaker 7 (30:27):
And the other thing too is we hope to have
a resolution to this in the next two weeks or so,
but there's probably gonna be appeal, so it's going to
carry over to next year as well.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Yeah, certainly some lasting effects.
Speaker 6 (30:36):
Jordan BIACKI always somebody can count on with all the
insider info. He'll be back with us tomorrow night for
a wrap of day three.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
But again thanks to Queen City News for that report.
And I will tell you I used to be a
big NASCAR fan back in the eighties and in the nineties,
and then in the mid two thousands I stopped. I mean,
Jimmy Johnson's super nice guy when he won those seven championships,
and he's like melbotosed, he's motos. He was dry and
boring and had no personality. And that's pretty much how
(31:03):
every single driver was in the two thousands and all
through the twenty tens as well. And I gotta be
honest with you, I haven't followed NASCAR probably in the
last you know what, eight years, nine years or so.
I just don't follow it because I find it extremely boring.
And I will also tell you this that I never
understood how a family could own an entire sport and
(31:24):
if you didn't go by the family's rules, you're out.
You're out, not like the NFL or anything like that.
So you know what, I actually think this is a
good thing for NASCAR. And the reason I say that
is because the way NASCAR has been going over the
last fifteen twenty years, it was going to implode. They
just the teams weren't making enough money. There aren't enough
(31:46):
advertisers and sponsors out there to make everything afloat and
make things profitable. And yes, I know these drivers are
making millions and millions and millions of dollars and everything else.
I get that. But again, but the team, if you
are an upstart or you're a newcomer or whatever, you
got zero chance, like zero chance of basically trying to
be successful. So I actually like this, and I hope
(32:09):
NASCAR has to pay out a lot of people. To
be perfectly honest with you, I really do. And I
just have never liked the way NASCAR was ran. I've
never liked it, never liked it, never liked it. So
a lot of the experts think that Michael Jordan and
Denny Hamler are gonna win and that will forever change NASCAR.
All right, that's gonna do it for us tonight. Again,
thanks to Michael Waally for taking the time to spend
(32:30):
two segments with me earlier tonight. And again, a lot
of going on in that North Carolina Senate race, and
we'll be talking about that for a long time between
now and November. A lot going on over the next
eleven months. All right, everyone, that's gonna do it for
us tonight. Have a great night, everyone. I look forward
to talking to you again tomorrow. My name is Brett
Jensen and you have been listening to Breaking with Brett
(32:51):
Jenson
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