The Rod and Greg Show: We Must Invest in Civics Education; Cuban Government Collapse; Quiet Radicalization of American Library

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So you're standing out there on Coronado. You're just not
very far away from North Island. Are you out there
working out with the Navy Seals.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (00:07):
They wanted me to, you know, they want me to
pump through a workout. But I said, guys, I got
a show to do. I got loyal listeners waiting. I
can't be messing with you. No, you gotta go do you.
I can't be I can't help you. I can't be
there all the time for you. You know, people get
dependent on me, you know, just you gotta they gotta
you know, they gotta go spread their wing guns flat.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah, they asked you to work out with them. I'll
give you a million dollars. Well, we have got a
great show lined up today. There's a lot going out
there today. We'll tell you new the Democrats were in
a bit of a conundrum. I think is a way
to put it right now, Greg, we're going to be
talking about that here in a few minutes. We're we'll
talk about what's going on in Cuba. What really? You know,
you hear about all these power A blackouts, Greg and

(00:47):
our listeners, and you're saying, Okay, what's going on in Cuba.
We'll get you an update on that. We'll talk about librarians. Remember,
librarians used to be nice people and they'd help you
find books, kind of things I guess changed.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
Well, I used to talk too loud in the library,
so I used to libraries weren't always nice to me.
They thought I was too loud in the library. I
know that our listeners to believe that, but yeah, I was.
I was always on the wrong side of the of
the librarian's yeah, her trying to keep the place quiet.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, I don't know why am I an inside voice?
Why are we not surprised at that? Amazing? All right,
So we've got a lot to get to today, and
as always, we invite you to be a part of
the program. Eight eight eight five seven O eight zero
one zero on your cell phone dial pound two fifty,
say hey, Rod, and also leave us a message on
our talkback line coming up. We also, Gregg sometime during
the show today have a uh A four tickets to

(01:41):
give away to the grand opening of Lagoon. I think
it's taking place next weekend, so that'd be kind of fun.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Yeah, yeah, And I'm telling you the weather. The weather's
great here, but the weather's this fantastic good in Salt Lake.
I can't believe that in along the Watta's front it is.
I think it's summer. I don't even think we've got
a spring. I think we went from you know, early
early springer, you know, in like a lion march, to
out like June.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
I don't know, you know, maybe we should get Lindsay
on the show from our weather partner KYU TV tomorrow
and ask her about this weather and what in tornations,
because did you see the storm that the Midwest gone?
I mean the storm the snow was coming in vertically
or horizontally. I mean it was amazing.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, yeah, there's the weather has been a bit different.
It's been a bit tumultuous. Look I like warmer winter.
So I'm all in.

Speaker 4 (02:30):
I like it. I embrace it.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
You are one of those guys, all right, you know
they you see headlines almost every day now, Greg where
where people out there, there there are stories about the
legacy media finding conservatives who are a little uncomfortable with
Donald Trump is doing when it comes to the war
in Iran, and and uh, you know what he's doing

(02:52):
with Cuban Venzuela and the economy. You know, there's stories
about some conservatives are getting a little nervous, right, Yeah,
you hear that all the time.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
I do.

Speaker 4 (03:01):
I hear it.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, well, I hear I hear rumor of it. It's
like QAnon. It's this thing that they are all Republicans.
I never met one in my life.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
So well, to shed some new light on that, our
good friend, the data guru from CNN, Old Harry Inton,
released a new poll this morning and it was about
MAGA supporters of Donald Trump and where they stand. Listen
to this.

Speaker 5 (03:23):
Yeah, you know, sometimes you look at the polling data
and there are numbers that just jump off the screen
at you, and this is one of those. Because just
take a look here, MAGA GOP of view of Trump
approve one hundred percent, one hundred percent. If you are
a member of MAGA and the GOP, you approve of
Donald John Trump zero percent say that they disapprove.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
You don't have to.

Speaker 5 (03:47):
Be a mathematical genius to know you can't go higher
than one hundred percent. He is the nineteen hundred and
seventy two Miami Dolphins. Now, there are some Republicans who
disapprove of Donald John Trump, but they are not members
of to Make America Great Again movement.

Speaker 4 (04:02):
The bottom line is this.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
If you are a member of MAGA you approve of
Donald Trump. I guess you can't get any higher than
one hundred percent, can you, Greg?

Speaker 4 (04:11):
I don't think now, Ken, that's a if. That's a statistic.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
That looks like a Philadelphia precinct for the Democrat president.
One hundred percent, not even not even a jokes during
the crowd voting for the Republican.

Speaker 4 (04:22):
But Dad, the one hundred percent, that's a that's a number.
You don't sneeze that.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
So when you hear stories out there about conservatives, the
mega supporters getting a little nervous about Donald Trump, just
think of Harry Enton. He can help you out. Now.
The Democrats today, Greg, find themselves in a bit of
a conundrum thanks to the New York Times.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yes it is. It is very awkward right now amongst
the leftists. I can imagine the elitist, the leftists, the regimei.
They don't know what to do with themselves, because you know,
they're they're they're guiding light their north star. The New
York Times, as liberal and as leftist as it is,
has come out with a I don't know a bombshell

(05:02):
of a years long investigation of Caesar Chavez, a civil
rights icon. I don't think there's a Democrat president that
hasn't paid homage to this gentleman.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
There's we have many statues and streets named after him.
We even having it in Salt Lake.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
Turns out he might not be worth uh celebrating. It
turns out that that he that the Times has uncovered, uh,
that he was preying upon young underage girls, uh, raping
women and uh and yeah, it.

Speaker 4 (05:44):
Was a bit of a predator.

Speaker 3 (05:45):
So pres those state the university, they put a big
black tarp over his uh, over his.

Speaker 4 (05:51):
That his statue.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
Today, you have calls for the names to be changed,
uh for the different myriads of roads and things that
are they're out there. I mean honestly, California alone has
seven streets, avenues or boulevards named after Caesar Chavez. They
got seven parks, they got a plaza, forty two schools
in California named after this guy. Barack Obama made gave

(06:16):
him the what was it, the Medal of Honors, Medal
of Freedom in twenty twelve. Uh and uh and this
is the best part President Biden. He had a bust
of Caesar Chavez in the in the Oval office, you know,
the hair sniffer. He knew there was something about this guy,
he quite liked. There was something. There was a connection.

(06:38):
He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was
a connection there. He had his bust, you know, of
him in the Oval Office behind his desk. And now
they're they're saying, well, even even Gavin Newsom asked this
morning what they're going to do, and he's like, well,
don't want to be too rash, you know, just because he,
you know, raped young lady, you know, underage girls. We

(06:59):
don't want to get too Let's not get too crazy.
Let's just think it through. But yes, I'm open to
the idea that we may have to remove his statues
and change the names of all the schools in the
streets that we've named after him. So it's the left,
because it's the New York Times. They don't know where
they are stuck. They can't they can't just scream at
a Republican conspiracy. They can't blame Trump. They can't. So

(07:23):
they're feeling a little awkward, would be putting it mildly.

Speaker 4 (07:28):
Even that lady that.

Speaker 1 (07:30):
I was going to say, one of his top co workers, right,
admitted finally that years ago, when she was still young
working for him in his campaign, he allegedly took her
out into some field and raped her. And she wasn't
very old. Was she sixteen, seventeen maybe eighteen years old
at the time.

Speaker 3 (07:48):
She's been credited rod as being the co founder of
this movement farm of farm workers. And she admits she
kept a secret. She kept this secret for sixty years,
that she had been raised twice, both resulting in pregnancies. Wow,
and those children having to be raised by other family members.
And I am going to tell you we have on

(08:09):
five hundred South and Salt Lake City, Yep, Caesar Chavez Boulevard.
And now it's I think it begs the question if
if you see even you know here in the People's
Republic of California, there's a major recoil going on to
the extent they're covering up the statue to Day of
Caesar Chavez and there, and Governor Newsom's talking about, yeah,

(08:31):
it may be time to change the names of all
these properties. I think Aaron Mendon Hall and the Salt
Lake City Council. They better figure out what they want
to do here, you know, Greg, right the street. They
want to you know, they want to be proud of.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
When I think of Caesar Chaves, I go back to
the nineteen sixty eight, the tumultuous presidential campaign. Robert F.
Kennedy was in California on as and he won the
California primary, you know, moments before he was assassinated. But
I'll never forget the pictures of him with Caesar Chavez.
Of course, Chavez's fighting for migrant workers' rights and going
through the fields with Caesar Chavez and meeting all these

(09:05):
people in praising him and supporting him. And now we
get this story, how many years later. It really does
put the Democrats in a bit of a difficult situation
as to how to deal with this right now, It's
going to be interesting to see how it all unfolds.
All right, We've got a lot to get to today.
It is the wing Man Wensday edition of the Rod
and Greg Show right here on Utah's Talk Radio one
oh five nine. Can arrest beautiful day on the outside

(09:28):
going on. We've got a follow up on the Caesar
Choved story that is breaking today.

Speaker 3 (09:32):
Well, Caesar Chavez Day is a national holiday apparently, but
governor Democrat governor from Arizona, Katie Hobbs, has announced that
the state of Arizona will not recognize the day this year.
You've got a lot of activity going on in California,
as I already mentioned. Here's another one, Uh, Caesar Chavez,
his own family has just released a statement acknowledging quote

(09:54):
impropriety with women and miners end quote. They said they
were shocked and sad. And where to who was a
co founder of this movement with him and has acknowledged
that she was raped by him multiple times. She's ninety
six years old, and she was silent. She kept this
secret of hers for sixty years, and she thought that

(10:15):
it would it would damage the farm over a movement,
and so she kept it quiet. They but the New
York Times they found other other women who said that
he began to groom them at the age of twelve
and thirteen years old, and they were assaulted and raped
when they were still minors, some fifteen years old. So

(10:35):
I don't think that's going to play well. It makes
things a bit awkward. And again we go back to
five hundred South in Salt Lake City, and we look
at that Caesar Chavez buh blah blah blard, and we
ask ourselves, you know, Salt Lake City mayor Menenhall, are
you going to do what it looks like, you know,
the Democrats that they left us are doing around the country.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
A lot of people driving on that right now. I
would bet. All right, let's move on to another topic.
Some six hundred leaders and educators we'll meet in Philadelphia
for a national forum to discuss civics education's importance. Joining
us on our newsmaker line to talk more about that.
As Hans Zeiger, he is president of the Jack Miller Center,
very involved in this effort. Hans, how are you welcome

(11:15):
to the Rod and Greg Show. Thanks for joining us tonight.

Speaker 6 (11:19):
Thank you guys very much. It's going to be with you, Hans.

Speaker 1 (11:21):
Let me ask you. I mean, Civics is extremely important,
but over the years it has lost its importance or
its its importance in the school curriculum. Why did it fade?
Why did schools get rid of it or say it's
not as important as we think other subjects are.

Speaker 7 (11:40):
I don't think anybody systematically sat down and said, well,
we should get rid of civics in the school curriculum.
I think it was more a matter of parents want
their kids to be successful in the economy, and certainly
kids come to share that viewpoint by the time they're
choosing a college major, and so all throughout our education
system there's a lot of motivation to form economic competence,

(12:04):
but in the process we have neglected citizen competence, which
was really understood to be a primary focus, primary purpose
of our education system from its beginning. Certainly the founders
of our country thought that you needed a civically literate
citizenry who would be prepared to shoulder the burdens of
self government in a free society, and that that was

(12:24):
a very serious responsibility that required deep study. We have
not focused on that in recent generations as we ought
in and I would argue that this two hundred and
fiftieth birthday year for our country is the time to
refocus to really set our sites on understanding what it
means to live as a person in a free society
who has responsibility for the outcome of this thing.

Speaker 4 (12:46):
Hans.

Speaker 3 (12:47):
Civic literacy has always been When I was a lawmaker,
it was important in a priority for our state, we
put funding towards this to help public schools be able
to deliver really the quality civics education. I attended as
a lawmaker, and national convention that was really bipartisan. We

(13:08):
had members of the US Senate, members of the House representatives,
we had judges, We had a lot of people, but
they weren't described by party but by leadership as describing
for civics education. And it didn't feel like it had
a bent to it, or it was a leftist or
a conservative narrative. It was really just the basics. That
was probably what twenty twelve, I guess it was a

(13:29):
while ago, but twenty maybe in the mid teens. But
what has happened since then?

Speaker 7 (13:35):
I think I think that is still largely the case.
In fact that for the vast majority of Americans. We
did a survey of parents in twenty twenty two where
we asked them, you know, what constitutes a good civic education,
and overwhelmingly eighty nine percent, across demographic lines, across political parties,

(13:56):
parents said that it's important to teach the Constitution, the
Declaration of mendependent and the responsibilities of citizenship. So I
think there is a kind of basic starting point that
we can agree on as Americans about what's important, what
it is that we hold in common. You know, citizenship
does require of us some kind of commonality that we
adhere to, and I would say, we are a creedal country.

(14:19):
You know, we believe in the principles of the Declaration
of Independence, which you know, I think you had to
boil it down. It's basically that people matter and that
that's going to be the basis of our politics. Now
there's a whole lot of room to disagree with within
that viewpoint, but let's start from that kind of shared
basis for self rule, for consensual government, for understanding, you know,

(14:39):
the limits on power and so forth, the importance of rights,
the importance of responsibilities. Those are some things that we
have to say, Okay, we're going to share those things
together as citizens.

Speaker 1 (14:50):
On the Education Department has awarded it what about one
hundred and fifty three million dollars to university based and
nonprofit initiatives to design and implement civics literais. Is that
money being used widely?

Speaker 2 (15:02):
Now?

Speaker 1 (15:03):
Do you see it being used to help to further
civics education in the country?

Speaker 6 (15:08):
Well?

Speaker 7 (15:08):
To its credit, the US Department of education. Yeah, one
hundred and fifty three million dollars that they released in
the fall. Many of the grants that they set out
were to university partners that we work closely with, Jack
Miller Center, a number of schools of civic thought at
public universities, including one of the great lights, one of
the real promising programs that has emerged as at Utah

(15:30):
Valley University, the Center for Constitutional Studies. We're a great
partner of the folks there and they're doing a lot
of innovative works. So they benefited from that latest grant round,
but many others around the country did as well. There's
a lot of room for innovation, and that particular grant
fund to spark new ways of preparing teachers to go
into the classroom equipped to teach our constitution and to

(15:53):
teach our political tradition. There's a tremendous room for innovation.
I think basically, you know, most of that activity traditionally,
in recent decades has taken place in schools of education,
which are great at pedagogy, not as good at at
content based instructions. So we're saying that, you know, in
our organization, we are saying you need to get scholars

(16:14):
of American footbal thought of American history much more involved
in the preparation of our K twelve teaching force here.

Speaker 3 (16:21):
It's always been kind of a a joke, you know,
they did it on late night TV, where they'd ask
such basic questions of citizens and they had a hard
time answering who the president was, or who fought in
the Civil War? Things like that. What is I just foundationally,
what what are the small steps? What are the things
that we would expect, especially coming up to this two
hundred and fifty year anniversary, that the kids, adults, we

(16:42):
should all just be equipped with just the fundamentals, the
one on one what's that look like? What what should
we just every American understand and know just intuitively?

Speaker 7 (16:54):
Well, I would point folks to take a look at
George Washington's first State of the Union address, because in
that he taught about the importance of thoughtful citizenship. You
know that the people need to be prepared to think
deeply about certain things. And it's not just kind of
basic factual knowledge of that stuff's important too, That's but
that's a baseline, he said.

Speaker 6 (17:11):
Yet he listed out six.

Speaker 7 (17:12):
Different things, the difference between rights and or the importance
of rights, the difference between freedom and tyranny, the importance
of responsibility of doing our part in a free society,
you know, and it's just worth taking a look at
that list. Is that all of the people need to
know this stuff. It's not like you can have some
elite class that knows that and then the rest of

(17:32):
us just sort of trust that group to take care
of things. That's not how it works in this country.
All of us are responsible for the well being of
our republic. And nobody understood that better than George Washington
and the founders who had come through this very risky revolution,
and they knew there was nothing certain about self government,
that this was an experiment and there was nothing guaranteed

(17:53):
about it. Every generation has to do its part, and
that's absolutely true of our generation, just as it has
been of every previous generation.

Speaker 1 (18:00):
Of Han's great advice and great work on this. Thank
you for your time this afternoon.

Speaker 7 (18:05):
Thank you guys very much.

Speaker 1 (18:06):
All right on our Newsmaker line. That's Hans Zeiger. He
is with the Jack Miller Center, the President talking about
investing in civic education. More coming up on The Rotten
Greg Show and Utah's Talk Radio one O five nine
KNR S.

Speaker 3 (18:19):
San Diego, beautiful San Diego. But here at the Iheartstation studios.
So I don't miss a day. I'm not like you,
Rod and Man. If I'm if I'm away, I'm still here.
I'm still here with the listeners. I'm just I'm not
gonna I'm not gonna miss a day.

Speaker 1 (18:32):
What do you want to what do you want to?

Speaker 4 (18:34):
Meddle I have to say.

Speaker 3 (18:36):
While you were gone, I you know, the word quitter
did come up a couple of times.

Speaker 4 (18:39):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (18:40):
Yeah, Twitter, you know you kind of kicked us to
the curb and went out vacationing.

Speaker 1 (18:45):
Yeah, before we go to Cuban and talk about Cuban.
I mean, I'm just seeing some video coming in apparently Greg. Today.
Denver International Airport had a power outage today and man,
people are crammed in there like a bunch of sardines
trying to figure out what to do.

Speaker 2 (19:00):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (19:00):
Yeah, so that when the power goes out, if you
have a light rail or some kind of there's a
lot of people that need power to get out of
that airport. They were all crammed in there. And then
I hear that ten percent of the tsa workforce called
in sick day. Yeah, so that's that can't help things either.
So I think things are getting tougher, and I think
that's what the Democrats do. They love to ferment fear

(19:21):
and raise the misery index, and I think that's how
they're going to compel Americans to support them.

Speaker 1 (19:27):
And not get any blame for it. Well, speaking of outages,
picking of shortages, what is going on in Cuba right now?
Of course the president's economic pressure there causing all kinds
of problems to our neighbors to the south, just ninety
miles away from the Florida border. Joining us on our
newsmaker line to give us an update is Stefano Rydendale.
He's chief Intelligence Officer officer at to are Toious Stephan,

(19:50):
thanks for joining us this afternoon, give us an update.
What are you hearing from Cuba right now?

Speaker 6 (19:55):
Yeah, So the situation in Cuba, I think just a
quick summary for everybody to understand. This is obviously the
worst economic and energy crisis that Cuba has seen since
the nineties at the collapse of the Soviet Union. And
so that's what we're seeing right now, and we're seeing
kind of the initial recording for the last couple of
days of protests really starting to pick up inside of Cuba. Basically,
a lot of the people inside of Cuba are just

(20:16):
sick and tired of the energy crisis and the economic
crisis and the government mismanagement that has ravaged Cuba for
decades now in the communist government. But all of this
is occurring because of a deliberate policy by the Trump
administration that really wants to ensure that the communist government
no longer have choke hold over the Cleveland population. Right,

(20:37):
And the way that this happened really started, you have
to go back into January this year with the capture
of Nicholas MTh Brow, the former Venezuela dictator, and now
with the appointment of the Carold rigue Is the acting president.
Venezuela has basically agreed that they are no longer going
to provide oil shipment to Cuba that Cuba really required

(20:58):
and needed to support their energy grids. And since the
Trump administration is putting a significant amount of pressure across
the region, we're also a major oil exporter to Cuba
also stops sending oil and so what that has caused
within the last couple of days is the total actually
quote collapse unquote of the Cuban electric grid, as stated

(21:22):
by the Cuban government themselves, And that is what we're
why we're seeing these protests. And obviously the Trump administration
is kind of leveraging this to tell the Cuban you know,
communistic paper in regime, your time is up. You need
to kind of move on. We're trying to have negotiations
with you, and they're leveraging the collapse of the electric grid,

(21:43):
the protests that are kind to show up to see
if we can start seeing a change in the littalization
of the communist country in the Caribbean.

Speaker 3 (21:51):
You know, so that it's being reported any of today
that they call them the figurehead president of Cuba, Miguel
Diaz Canal, he is talking pretty tough.

Speaker 4 (22:02):
He's saying a saber rattling.

Speaker 3 (22:04):
He's saying that any external aggressor of the Cuban regime
they will be met with unbreakable resistance. Is this bad dad,
Bob we're listening to right now, Stefano? Or do they
get Do they have a little more swat than we
thought they did?

Speaker 6 (22:19):
You know, I'm old enough even though he's young to
remember the famous quotes and back that Bob, But yes, exactly.
I mean the irony is I would say, is he
made that account on X formally known as Twitter, and
I guess who does not have access to X? You
know obviously, right, So it's very interesting that he's using this,
and again it is geared towards why did he release

(22:41):
this specifically also on access because it's clearly gear towards
the international community and specifically to the United States. You know,
Midias Caneal, you know, he he is the president of Cuba,
and I would even say, like he does have a
lot of control obviously ral Castro, who is ninety four,
he you know, he resigned, no the president. He's a
very old age, but he still has obviously that Castro name.

(23:04):
But right now a lot of the power is held
with Nia Dies. The reporting that from the Trump administration
saying he has to go, and I think the comparison,
not from a military operation perspective, but just how I
think the Trump administration is trying to move forward with
kind of changing the leadership instead of Cuba as they're
using the Venezuela model, right but instead of right now,

(23:27):
as we're not really seeing a build up of military
forces in the Caribbean or anything like that. Obviously the
focus is in Iran, but they're leveraging this oil embargo
that is being enforced by the US Navy and the
Coat Guard. It's important to note they're leveraging that crisis
to basically tell you, know, you don't have a choice,
It's time for you to go. What is very interesting

(23:48):
is since last year, around the falls and even winter
of twenty twenty five, they're supporting that Secretary of State
Mark Ruby and others within the Trumpet administration are actually
taking an in risk within one of the you know,
the family members of Casha, specific one of the grandsons,
and saying, okay, this wody that can we can work
with in this idea of liberalization or democratization of Cuba.

(24:11):
And I think that's the Venezuela example. And I'll be honest,
if you would have told me, you know, four months ago,
five months ago that a very of a partner the
US could work with would have been dead. Caedrodriguez, who
was the vice president, who is a Chavista through and
through that she would have been a reliable partner of

(24:31):
the United States. You know, I wouldn't have believed if
it worked. And it clearly shows that the administration took
its time to figure out within the constructs of the
Venezuelan power structure, who do they want to pick that
we believe it can work with the most and we've
got a lot of interest in reporting subsequently that indicated
that a lot of elements of CIA and assets and
human sources that we had pointed to del Caroldigat And

(24:54):
I think that's what the administration is trying to figure
out now, or maybe they already have figured this out
and say clearly it's not me Kan They've already said
he needs to go. He came out recently said hey,
we'll allow you know, foreigners and Cuban expass and maybe
purchase property inside of Cuba, this liberalization. But clearly the administration,
Howardy said, and Marco Ruby are basically parafrace paraphrase, this

(25:15):
too little, too late, and you need to go. And
I think that's what we're seeing. So Ganea is obviously
gonna do this bad dog, Bob, as you said, very
tough rhetoric. But to be frank, Cuba has nothing really
to hold against the United States, at least Venezula had
the oil. Tuba has nothing. They're isolated internationally. The Russians
are going to save them. The Chinese, who even have

(25:35):
spine bases inside of Cuba, they love to release press statements,
but they're not going to come and save Cuba. So
Gan is on his own right now.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah, it's the final final question for you. Can we
get the transition or the change that you know, the
Trump administration wants in Cuba without dropping a bomb or
firing a bullet? Can we do that?

Speaker 6 (25:55):
I mean, it is possible, and I think again it
is important that this oil embargo is being enforced by
the US military. I think it is possible, and I
think that's what the administration is looking at. And obviously
right now there's a lot of focus inside of Iran.
But even if there was a necessity to do military
operations right now, it doesn't seem likely that that's what's

(26:17):
going on because we're doing a lot. It probably wouldn't
take a lot of military force, and a lot of
it is you know, we have the US Tuba's right there.
From a logistical military standpoint, it's a significant easier problem.
Said that, not only just Iran, but even Venezuela, So
there's a lot of assts you can leverage. Obviously, the
Cuban military has been hollowed out for decades of corruption
and mismanagement, So if it's a requirement, it wouldn't be

(26:38):
something we're seeing like we saw we're seeing right now
in Iran. But right now we're not seeing that. And
I think the economic and energy crisis so significant that
you'll probably see protests pick up and that's going to
put a lot of strain and challenges to kind specifically.

Speaker 1 (26:52):
On our any of our newsmaker lines. To final Ridingdale
talking about the situation in Cuba. All right, more coming
up on the Rod and Greg show.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
It's a bit of a heat wave.

Speaker 3 (27:01):
If you get over the ocean, it's usually in the
seventies since set low seventies about eighty really near the ocean.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
So yeah, well, good for you.

Speaker 1 (27:10):
We were talking earlier Greg about you asked, Yeah, we
were talking about Harry Anton new survey out our daya
Guru at CNN showing that Donald Trump has one hundred
percent support from mega voters within the Republican Party.

Speaker 4 (27:26):
You can't get much higher than that. You can't get
much higher than that.

Speaker 3 (27:28):
Can you Yeah, I actually I question one hundred percent
of anything, but you know, nothing might Who am I
to parsed with Harry the Great Harry Anton, And he
is so animated when he reports these things. He looks
so excited when he says things that I just the
CNN people must be dying, and they are dying, and
you can see it.

Speaker 4 (27:47):
They don't really hide it very well. It's so much fun.

Speaker 1 (27:49):
He compared the number to the Dolphins who went undefeated
what in nineteen seventy two winning the Super Bowl. He says,
you can't get much higher than that. Neither can Donald
Trump right now, he's doing the super job, according to them,
and I agree. I think most people who voted for
Donald Trump, he is doing what he said he would do.
And most people other than maybe a few out there,
agree with what the president is doing. Even on the

(28:10):
issue of Iran right now, I think people viewed this
as nim and then threat. They you know how many years,
for forty fifty sixty years, we've been talking about Iran,
the threat at pose doing something about it. None of
the past presidents won to do anything. I mean, for
crying out loud. Barack Obama gave him billions of dollars
in palats of cash. Donald Trump steps in and says,

(28:31):
we've had enough. We're going to go get these guys.
And that's exactly what they've done.

Speaker 3 (28:34):
Look, look, there's people that are frustrated with President Trump.
I guess I could see it. But look, he's no
neo con He's going to protect this country on our
nation's interests, and that's how he will.

Speaker 1 (28:46):
All right, second hour the Rod and Greg Show on
This wing Man Wednesday, coming your way.

Speaker 4 (28:56):
Did everybody get in the van. I'm out here and
San Diego at the iHeart Studios.

Speaker 8 (29:02):
Here.

Speaker 3 (29:02):
They've given me my own mission control center in here.
It's quite fancy. I'm able to be with you.

Speaker 4 (29:09):
I love it.

Speaker 1 (29:10):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm glad you're having a nice
time down there. I'm waiting to see when you work
out with the Seals, because.

Speaker 4 (29:18):
Yeah, I am. I see.

Speaker 3 (29:19):
You know, they jog, you know, they got these They
get to the black suburbans that follow behind and in
front of the Seals, they run down.

Speaker 4 (29:27):
And turn down the beach.

Speaker 3 (29:29):
If they need protection, I know, I don't know if
they need protection, but I guess they clear everybody out
of the way. Maybe I don't know, but they I
see it. By the way, at this station that I'm
in one, two, three, four, five, six seven, there's eight stations,
two of which are conservative talk radio. Two two iHeart
properties here in this market are conservative talk radio.

Speaker 1 (29:50):
So cool.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
I think one has more local like we are in
Salt Lake City, more local, and the other one is
more syndicated. But two stations of them here, so clearly
patriots are in the building.

Speaker 1 (30:03):
So you good good, feel good today on this wonderful
Wednesday afternoon. All right, We've got a lot to get
to this hour, but Greg, we need our great listeners
help today, so we're gonna put up the phones to
you here. I will tell you the question we want
to ask in them in just a minute. But I
want to get to this Greg, because I saw this
sound bite and I've never heard maybe you have over

(30:24):
the years, Greg, because you deal with the politicos more
than I do. A question posed like this, of all people,
it was posed by John Stewart, Okay, and you can
love more like him, whatever the case may be, or
hate him. But he asked an interesting question. I mean,
think about this, how much government waste there is and
how ineffective Democrats can be when it comes to using

(30:45):
taxpayer money. I mean, think about it. They asked for
tax increases all the time, Greg, but they never explain
to the voters how they're going to use the money.
No one ever asked them that question, do they Have
you ever heard that question?

Speaker 3 (30:58):
No? I, And I'll tell you they've never been held
any to account for the amount of money they've been
able to warm. That's how you get situations in uh,
Minnesota and elsewhere where you're seeing just such a blatant
fraud because there isn't there isn't a measurable there isn't
a how much have you moved to?

Speaker 6 (31:15):
Neil.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
And by the way, I've watched this in government. Uh,
this is what This is what people that receive money do.
They say, you say, do you have enough? No, we
need more money because we need to do our job better. Okay,
here's an appropriation. You come back to next year. You
got you got more of an appropriation. How'd you do
what we did?

Speaker 4 (31:31):
Terrible? Why not enough money?

Speaker 1 (31:33):
Yeah? Huh?

Speaker 3 (31:34):
And that is the merry go round of government spending.
It's you can never pay enough, and when you go
to measure it, if it's if it doesn't measure up,
it's because you haven't funded it enough, so you got
to keep going.

Speaker 4 (31:46):
And that's that's that's the game. That's always been the game.

Speaker 1 (31:49):
Well, on his show on Monday, John Stewart, who typically
you know he criticizes Democrats and Republicans, but mostly Republicans,
and we know he's a bit of a progressive, but
he had the mayor of san his name is Matt
Mahon as a guest. He is currently running for governor
in California, backed by Silicon Valley donors, like you know
a lot of people out there, a lot of the

(32:10):
high tech folks. John Stewart asked this very interesting question.

Speaker 9 (32:14):
So for Democrats, it's always been interesting that they've had
trouble connecting the money that they're asking to raise through
taxes to the value it's providing.

Speaker 4 (32:25):
To tax payers.

Speaker 9 (32:26):
So to the point of like there's a lot of
referendums up there now a billionaire's tax or getting people
that pay one hundred thousand dollars not to have to
pay any income tax. But I think too often the
politicians haven't connected that money to real value. I don't
think people trust that that money will be spent responsibly

(32:50):
or have any efficacy.

Speaker 7 (32:52):
So predictably, yes, being the capital of Silicon Valley, we
created some dashboards to show people.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
But Greg, I think that's a great question. Have you
ever heard a politician being asked, Okay, you want this money,
are in fact how are you going to use the
money and how is it going to benefit our community.
I've never heard anybody ask a question like that, and
they certainly should.

Speaker 3 (33:17):
Well they should. But the reason it's not asked, or
actually I think there are people that ask. The reason
why you won't ever get a straight answer is if
they say they're doing well, then they then that that
circular argument I talk about where they just want more money.
They kind of ruin it for themselves if they say
they're really crushing it. If so, if they tell you

(33:37):
they're doing just fine, then you might not look to
give them an increase. They usually want to just say, well,
we're doing terrible because we need that and the reason
why this is you're just underfunding us.

Speaker 1 (33:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (33:46):
But but measuring it, I mean that's what the private
sector does. I mean, we you know, you don't survive
long if if it's a it's a harsh reality. If
you don't have customers. If you don't have if whatever
you're providing services or product are not wanted by the public,
you don't last very long. Whatever government's providing, if it
doesn't move the needle, it really shouldn't. It shouldn't survive,

(34:08):
it should it should go away like anything else would have.

Speaker 1 (34:11):
You Have you ever heard, Greg of a government agency
that was funded, it did its job, and then it
went away.

Speaker 4 (34:19):
No.

Speaker 3 (34:20):
I think the Rural Electrification Agency, a federal agency, the
Rural Electrification Agency, which job was to bring electricity to
the rural areas of the United States, still operates today
bringing I don't know, loans for upgrades or something. But
they found something else to do. After electricity became kind
of a thing in the United States, it wasn't really
candlelight anymore. They stayed alive and well. And so I

(34:43):
don't think there's anything that disappears once it's begun well.

Speaker 1 (34:48):
I look at two things, Greg. First of all, what
was it sixty four LBJ declared the War on Poverty?
Has poverty gone away in America?

Speaker 4 (34:56):
No, it's actually gotten worse.

Speaker 1 (34:57):
It's gotten worse in America.

Speaker 3 (34:58):
The introduction of free money. I think think just erodes
the soul. I mean, you don't work anymore, you know,
it doesn't have a value. You get free money. So
I think that uh, the Great Society, the big welfare
state born by LBJ. Instead of having people that were
poor seeing their kids do better than they did and
wanting that and seeing that kind of upward mobility of

(35:20):
each generation, after LBJ and the free money started, you
saw an underclass. You started to see multi general multiple
generations of people living in poverty. And and some of
it traps them in there. If they get if they
got a little bit of a raise at work, it
could take a huge percentage of their household income to
make up the benefit that government was providing ahead. Instead

(35:42):
of say childcare, you get a you get a bit,
you get a dollar raise, you lose all your childcare benefits.
But the money that that dollar doesn't even begin an
hour raise does not begin to cover it, and so
it ensnares. It's it's these cliffs exist in public assistance,
and it is it is really sucked in an underclass
that doesn't ever escape poverty, which is the opposite of

(36:03):
what I think they thought they were doing when they
created the so called Great society.

Speaker 1 (36:08):
And the other examples Education Department. How much money we
spent on that has that improved education in this country? No,
I mean you look at the EPA. There's some people
out there could argue, well, our environment is better. I mean,
look at the EPA, as that made the environment any different.
I mean, and it leads me to this question Greg
that was brought up in another article I saw today.
It's somewhat related to this because he was posing this

(36:29):
to the Democrats. I think the Democrats love to create
this programs, these programs costing the American taxpayer billions of
dollars without any credibility out there. And I saw this
question today and it's kind of a tongue in cheek question,
but we can have a little fun with it. And
that's why we need to hear from our listeners on
this one. The question was posed there's only one thing

(36:51):
voters dislike more than Democrats, which is a really good question, I.

Speaker 4 (36:55):
Think, But yeah, it's a real head scratcher that way.

Speaker 1 (36:58):
Yeah, we need to develop a list of things that
voters dislike more than they do Democrats. You got a
great answer on one. I'm going to hold you that
because I want to break first and get your answer.
I do have one, but we want to open up
the phones to you. Eight eight eight five seven eight
zero one zero on your cell phone dial Pound two fifteen,
say hey Rod, or leave us a message on our
talkback line. We're looking for one thing that you, as

(37:20):
a voter dislike more than Democrats. Be interesting to see
what our listeners have to say. Eight eight eight five
seven eight zero one zero on your cell phone dial
Pound two fifteen, say hey Rod, or leave us a
message on our talk back line. You know, former mayor
of Cageville was selected. You know Steve Hyatt as well
as I do. Do I think you ate them off,
I know walking around the room. Yeah, I saw him

(37:44):
walk around the room giving people hundred dollars if they pay.

Speaker 4 (37:46):
For the talent.

Speaker 3 (37:47):
The talent pool was deep in your precing meeting and
not so much in mind.

Speaker 4 (37:52):
Well, there were eight people in your pool, eight totally
in your precinct and my am my voting precinct. We
have eight eight eight people attend. There were some low
attendants here and there, so there was but yeah, it.

Speaker 1 (38:06):
Was all right if you're just joining us now. We
played a audio sound bite from John Stewart in the
last segment asking a Democrat. You know, they asked for
all these tax increases, but they never showed the public.
There's a disconnect between what they're asking for and showing
the public how that money is being used. And it
kind of led us to this question I saw the
other day about the one thing voters dislike more than Democrats.

(38:28):
So we're trying to build the list. We need your
help at eight eight eight five seven eight zero one
zero triple eight five seven o eight zero one zero
on your cell phone dial pound two to fifteen, say hey, Rod,
or leave us a message on our talk back line.
But before we go to our comments, Greg, you've got
a thought, and I've got a thought. What's yours?

Speaker 3 (38:45):
So what do I dislike more than a Democrat? I
had to think for a second, because bamboo shoots under
my fingernails. No, still a Democrat I preferred. I'd probably
dislike the Democrat more than bamboo shoots out behind pushed
behind my fingernails.

Speaker 4 (39:00):
What I but what I do.

Speaker 3 (39:01):
What I do dislike more is a dishonest Republican who
actually is a Democrat. So if you got a if
you got a dishonest Republican who's out there talent that
they're a Republican, but they're actually kind of they are
a Democrat. That's that's what I don't like. Hey, it
goes back to me. I'd rather be stabbed in the
chest than the back, you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (39:20):
So do we have people like that in this state?

Speaker 9 (39:23):
Hmm?

Speaker 3 (39:25):
You know, I think our audience, the collective will of
our knowledge of our audience, would tell us very quickly
whether we.

Speaker 2 (39:31):
Did or not.

Speaker 1 (39:31):
We've talked about this before. The one thing that I
can't stand is their arrogance. The arrogance of Democrats. They
all think they're smarter, they know better, they you know,
because they're so well educated. Uh, that's what you know.
That's what drives me. Arrogance is what I hate more
than Democrats, the Hubert's of it. You're right, Yes, maybe
I also call that elitism. Yeah, yeah, that's true. All right,

(39:54):
we need your help on this. Let's go to the phones.
We begin tonight with Richard in Salt Lake City. Richard,
how are you welcome him to the Rotting Gregg Show.
We didn't get Richard. Sorry about that, catch Richard. We'll
try and catch them here. See if we can fix it. Yeah,

(40:16):
I've got everything up here, Ray, not sure what it is.
All right, let's let's do with some of our talkback comments. Greg.
These are some people who are weighing in as well
on this, commenting about, of course, what they dislike more
than Democrats world being lied to. And that's why I
don't like democrats being lied to. Does that happen in politics?

Speaker 4 (40:37):
Unfortunately? Unfortunately, h it does. It happens.

Speaker 3 (40:40):
But I'll tell you what what blows my mind is
a in a legislative body, your votes in committee and
on the on the floor are public. So why you
say one thing and vote another, I'll never understand. I mean,
that's a you get shit busted right away. So I
don't I don't really get why that happens, but it
does happen. It's shocking, but it happens.

Speaker 1 (40:58):
Now they're comment on our talk back line.

Speaker 10 (41:02):
The only thing I dislike more than Democrats they're people
is Democrat policies.

Speaker 1 (41:10):
Can't stand him Democrat policies. I go along with that
one as well. Greg. Here's another comment.

Speaker 10 (41:18):
Hey guys, there's a few things that really bother me.
One would be Romney. He was no good for the
country and Rocky Anderson he was no good for the
state of Utah. And Obama, Well, what can you say
about him? His track record and his deception to the
American people speaks for itself.

Speaker 1 (41:42):
Yeah, you brought that up, Greg. You know Republicans who
say they're Republicans, but when it comes to their support
and their policies, what's it say? Probably we're a Democrat.
And I think that's the one thing that really does
irritate a lot of people, especially in this state.

Speaker 3 (41:57):
It does look. I think we're I know, I know
that we're a conservative state. And so when they when
they campaign and say the things that you would expect
a conservative to say in a campaign and how you
would expect to be represented, and then once they're on
the clock, it doesn't it doesn't comport, it doesn't match up.
And then they have a lot of word salad to

(42:18):
explain why. You know, they just know more, they have
better insight than you. I think that that even bleeds
into the arrogance. But it's it's tough. It's a very
frustrating thing to happen. I think Mitt Romney's six years
as a Senate was in the in the Senate was
the longest six year term I have ever lived through.

Speaker 1 (42:35):
And probably for a lot of a lot of Republicans
who felt like you, it was a very, very long
term and this ongoing battle he had. I think what
irritated people more than anything, greg in my opinion on
the whole Romney issue, was that he sought President or
Donald Trump's endorsement when he ran in twenty twenty. Yet
when Donald Trump decided to run, Mitt Romney was one

(42:56):
of the first to attack. And I think that's what
irritated a lot of people here.

Speaker 3 (43:00):
And this story went on. He attacked him when he
was running. Then in eighteen he wants to run for
Senate and he comes to I was speaker at the time,
comes to my office, tells me how much he enjoys
President Trump. He's such a better president than he was
a candidate. And he thought, you know, he said, I
can support him all the way. I do support him
all the way. And then before he wins, he wins
the primary, and before he's even sworn in as a

(43:21):
US Senator, in the Washington Post, not even a local newspaper,
writes a long editorial criticizing he was, like January first,
just absolutely criticizing and attacking the president. So he was
a big He was a fan when he got endorsed
by Trump, not a fan when he ran for president,
wants to run for Senate in Utah, becomes a fan again,

(43:44):
and before he's even sworn in as senator, it begins to
attack him yet again. I you know, I don't know
if he thought people weren't keeping score, but I was.
I watched this go back and forth, and that was
just the beginning of it.

Speaker 1 (43:56):
Six years when did he go to the Hinckley Institute
and there was national coverage on this where he spoke
for what twenty minutes up at the Hinckley Institute and
basically called Donald Trump a fraud.

Speaker 4 (44:05):
Yeah, I was twenty sixteen.

Speaker 3 (44:06):
Yeah, two years before he ran and told me and
our House leadership team how great the president was.

Speaker 4 (44:12):
Yeah, he had nothing.

Speaker 3 (44:14):
He was gushing about how great the president was and
how well, how good of a job he was doing.

Speaker 1 (44:18):
Okay, all right, more coming up on The Rodden Gregg
Show on this Wednesday, We're looking to develop a list
of one thing you think voters dislike more than Democrats
eight eight eight five seven eight zero one zero on
your cell phone dial pound two to fifty, Say hey Rod,
or leave us some message on our talkback line by
downloading the iHeart Radio app. More coming up on The
Rodden Gregg Show. Now we're asking a question today. This

(44:39):
was brought up a headline I thought was real catchy.
The one thing that voters dislike more than Democrats. Of course,
remember Greg, what was it? Last week? We did an
interview with someone from the Manhattan Institute that show that
most Democrats would like the party to return to normalcy
instead of going as far left as it has, and
both you and I kind of disagreed with that, saying
we think the party is just gun left and I

(45:01):
don't think there are any moderates in that Democratic Party anymore.

Speaker 3 (45:04):
No, they've left the normal people far behind. There's there's
a there's a there's common sense, there's things that just
aren't really even that political, of which if the Democrat
Party it's based today, they want nothing to do with normalcy.
They have a very very aggressive agenda that really does
create a recoil with what I what we call the normies,

(45:25):
you know, the people that just want to live normal
lives and do normal things. And it's just Democrats aren't
having it, and they don't seem to care. It's I
don't I don't see them trying to pivot, maybe back
to the center, to try and and and get a
stronger base of normal people. It looks like they're just
trying to create one through an open border and NGOs
and everything else.

Speaker 1 (45:46):
Yeah. Well, speaking of that, when we have a minute,
I'll play an audio sound bite from the Democratic candidate
for US Senate in the state of Texas. You won't
believe what he had to say. That's coming up in second.
But let's go back to the phones, and here are
your thoughts on this tonight. Let's go to Read in
Salt Lake City Read. How are you welcome to the
Roden Gregg Show.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
Hi, I'm doing Greg, Hey, I'm going to I heard
the tail end as I'm getting in my car going
back from work. I think the tail end of what
Greg was talking about. But for me, definitely it's Mitt Romney.
He to me, there's a YouTube video with Mitt Romney
and it says Mitt Romney versus President Neilson, and it
just shows and that the subject is abortion, and it

(46:29):
shows how from nineteen ninety four, how he was the
most pro choice, just clips. They're not saying that, they're
showing clips of him being the most pro abortion person
you could think of. And then thirteen years later, when
he's running for the presidency, he literally told a reporter,
I've never been pro choice in my life. That's a misstatement.
You can look at the YouTube video and it just
catches him doing that. And the final part on that is,

(46:52):
I'm used to you know, sleeps ball, you know, two
faced politicians. That's fine, but well, if not that, at
least I'm used to that. But then he comes on
when it's the impeachment trial and he said, well, well,
the reason I'm impeaching him is because paraphrasing here, I'm
so morally superior to every other Republican and I don't
think about it.

Speaker 1 (47:10):
Yeah well then, yeah, I mean, didn't need to make
those comments. What was in ninety four when he was
governor and trying to unseat Ted Kennedy at the time
and needed to appeal to the pro choice people in
the state of Massachusetts. Isn't that what he was trying
to do? Read as I recall, then.

Speaker 2 (47:26):
It's exactly what he was trying to do. He is
running for the Senate and then then law and beholder
on right. As soon as he gets elected governor and
the abortion bill comes, he becomes Oh you know what,
I guess I'm pro choice because then he was angling
to become presidential candidates have nothing to do with morals.
I'm sorry, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (47:43):
That's right, all right, read, thanks for enlightening notes on Then, Greg,
let's hear from one over to talk about college. I
think you'll enjoy this one.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
What I hate more than Democrats Brussels sprouts and ignorant voters.

Speaker 1 (48:00):
Russell sprout and ignorant voters.

Speaker 3 (48:03):
Yeah, you know, I actually don't mind russell sprouts, but
I love the take. I respect the take for sure.
I got I got some deaf food that actually makes
me cringe to even think of.

Speaker 4 (48:13):
I get, I recoil. I can't even say on the.

Speaker 1 (48:16):
Air, yes, I know what it is.

Speaker 3 (48:18):
No, don't, don't, don't, I can't, I bet I. But
so I have probably a food item that I would
hate more than democrat too. But how about ignorance and
arrogance combined? That is that is a deadly comment. When
you're ignorant and arrogant. And I've met those characters, and
oh that's a that's a tough one.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
Well, well tough one. Look what is going on right
now in this debate over the Save Act, Greg I
mean for crying out a lot. They are lying about everything.
Women won't be able to vote if they're married, you know,
Jim Crow two point zero. Their new new allegations being
made today as this debate goes on, and you know,
none of this is true, but they keep on saying it,

(48:56):
hopefully to convince the American people that they're right, and
they are not right. Yet they just keep on saying it.

Speaker 4 (49:04):
Yeah, it's it.

Speaker 3 (49:04):
And then that goes back to my point is that
they the left is left the normal everyday Americans. Really,
they don't want their vote. They don't want to. They
want to they want to vote harvest. They want this
demographic of open border everybody that they've brought in. They
want them first counted for purposes of apportionment for Congress
and in congressional seats and every day in every state.

(49:26):
And then what they want is they want ultimately them
to be able to vote. Some are voting now, there's
no way if they if the law says you're not
allowed to vote in our elections if you're not a citizen,
and that is the law repeating it through the Save
America Act. Just saying it being redundant. If you're guilty
of anything, it's just redundancy. If what you're saying is
true and it's already against the law, there should be.

(49:48):
It should be the easiest vote in the world to
just say it twice, just say it again in law.
But you know, when they fight this hard, something's going on.
It's it's it's a tell. We some the radar, you know,
our spider sense has to go off at this point
that they're going to fight this hard for something that
they say, at worse is just not an issue. And
by the way, there's just too many women that get

(50:09):
married and have to produce ID in their lives and
actually do vote to listen to them say that women
can't vote if the Save Act passes. It's it's so
denigrating and condescending to women. I don't even know how
that's a straight faced argument.

Speaker 1 (50:24):
Well, here's the tell on the Save Act Greg two instance,
it's Chris van Holland. He's from Maryland, isn't He's the
guy who went to El Salvador. Yeah, had Margherita's with
his terrorist friend. Well, he basically came out today and said, look,
there are some illegals who vote in this country. I
mean he actually admitted that today on the Senate floor.

(50:44):
And then remember a couple of things. I think this
with Schumer was expressing concern that ICE would show up
at polling places. Well, if illegal people are not voting,
you know, why would heights need to show up at
voting places. I mean, they are so two faced in everything.

Speaker 3 (51:01):
Millions and millions of people will be taking off the
voter rolls because of Ice coming to the to the
voting places. Well, Ice is only really looking for the illegal.
So if you're saying that millions to take it out
the voting roll, I think you're you've just maybe said.

Speaker 1 (51:17):
Maybe they're there. Back to the phones, well go, let's
talk with Bob here in Salt Lake City. Bob, how
are you welcome to the Rod and Gregg Show.

Speaker 11 (51:24):
I'm doing well, Thank you very much, Love you guys.

Speaker 1 (51:27):
Good, thank you.

Speaker 11 (51:29):
My comment would be what do I hate more than Democrats?
Probably their children, for fear that they will grow up
like their parents.

Speaker 4 (51:43):
I know it's so true.

Speaker 1 (51:45):
That is true, because because uh what show, there's a
new show out that Taylor Sheridan is doing right. He
did Yellowstone and land Man. He's got a new show
called The Madison right, and I started watching it and
it is a The story basically is, this is a
very well off New York City family. I mean, they
got Park Avenue stuff and all this, right, and and

(52:08):
something happens where they go out to the cabin I
think it's in Montana, and a neighbor brings over them
some food. They have no food in this cabin, right
because of what had just happened, And the neighbor brings
over all kinds of food and so one of the
dishes that the neighbor brought over tacos. Okay, the little
girl actually said to the woman who was giving your tacos,

(52:30):
you can't call it a taco because that's racist. Can
you believe that? And I went, that is the education
young children in this country are getting today in some
parts of the country. That's frightened.

Speaker 3 (52:44):
You know, when I was a kid and I was poor,
I didn't really dislike wealthy people. You know, they were
working it. Look, I didn't their kids are what I
didn't like. I didn't like the kids, the kid the
kids got under my skin real quick. We used to
call it born on third base. Think you hit a
triple you know. So I couldn't stand the kids. I
didn't really have any animasity to people of wealth, but I, boy,

(53:06):
do their kids are get under Yeah?

Speaker 4 (53:09):
Bug me? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (53:10):
All right, more of your calls and comments coming up.
It is the Wingman Wednesday edition of the Rod and
Greg Show right here on Utah's Talk Radio one oh
five nine. Can I the one thing voters dislike you,
as a voter, dislike more than Democrats? Before we go
back to the phone, let's take another comment on our
talk back line him Greg. This is glennon provo.

Speaker 12 (53:28):
One thing I hate more than Democrats is a politician
who co sponsors a bill but doesn't want it to pass.

Speaker 4 (53:39):
I wonder what he's talking about, just hypothetically speaking, of course,
just not you know, just just saying it out there.

Speaker 11 (53:47):
You know.

Speaker 1 (53:49):
Yeah, we're just wondering. I really, you know, he's got
me puzzled. I'm not sure who he's talking about. Greg,
I just wondering.

Speaker 4 (53:56):
I just think it's just a not just a simple observation.

Speaker 1 (54:05):
They do. All right, let's go back to the phones.
In Provo We're talking with Lou tonight here on the
Riding Greg Show. Hey Lou, how are you?

Speaker 8 (54:13):
I'm good, guys. I just couldn't resist today's subject. The
political canvas in our country is so so struggling with
so much's the very first thing he did was go
to the old Mitt Romney stuff. And man, if there's
anybody ever played both ends of the middle against the
rest of us, it's Uncle Mitt. But I'm I'm thinking that.

(54:37):
You know what's going to fix it is artificial intelligence
is going to make it harder and harder for human
beings to lie and get away with it. What they
do is they vote like the mayor of New York
and that new governor of Virginia was eccentric as a
three dollars bill on Yet they went to the middle

(54:58):
and told everybody this was who I am, and they
elected him. And now we find out they're not at
all those days said they were.

Speaker 1 (55:07):
Yeah, that's for sure.

Speaker 8 (55:08):
And you know what A and I AI is going
to sort that out.

Speaker 6 (55:11):
We really it.

Speaker 8 (55:13):
I don't think we even see what's coming yet. Well,
but if we can shut lying down, I get I've
been in business fifty years and the worst thing in
the world is a lying human being that's good at it.

Speaker 1 (55:25):
Yeah, you're right, Loui, and I don't not so much.
Greg is as much as AI as it is just
social media in general. I mean today, if you make
a comment and it's totally different from a comment you
made maybe only six months ago, social media picks this
stuff up and it's out there right away to call
you on the carpet.

Speaker 3 (55:42):
It's pretty hard to hide nowadays. Yeah, I'll tell you
why we I think why we all instinctively hate lying,
and it's because lying only works in a society where
we assume people are truthful. Yes, if we didn't believe
people were truthful, we live in chaos. But the only
reason why lying works is because we have a basic, bought,
baseline assumption that people are truthful when they speak to

(56:05):
and communicate, and so people use that and violate that
that trust.

Speaker 4 (56:11):
But you have to have it.

Speaker 3 (56:12):
If we just assumed every word everybody said in life
was a lie, it'd be pretty hard to function as
a society.

Speaker 4 (56:18):
So you have to have it.

Speaker 3 (56:19):
But it's the people that take advantage of that that
is why I think we recoil so hard. So it
is efensive you know, Greg.

Speaker 1 (56:28):
To me, what worries me is that the lou they
or the caller just brought up spamburger there in what Virginia, right,
and she came off as a centrist and now is
very very liberal. I worry that voters don't see through
it at the beginning and they go and vote for
anyways and then come to find out she's nothing what
she said she was going to do. And I fear

(56:48):
that voters don't take the time to really check this out.
And this is why I'm a big fan of the
caucause convention system. You have people checking out these things
and not just depending on some television ad or radio
ad that's going to tell you how wonderful they are,
when in fact they have totally different positions when they
get in office. And that's my biggest fear.

Speaker 3 (57:10):
Yeah, and I you know what it's that's I do
think that's why we have to preserve the caucus convention
cycles because you're you're not.

Speaker 4 (57:17):
I just know this.

Speaker 3 (57:19):
People that want to run for office, that have a
lot more money, they don't want to have to slum
it and actually make their face to the you know,
everyday people. They want to be able to just carpet
bomb the districts in the state with direct mail, digital ads,
radio TV ads.

Speaker 4 (57:33):
I mean, it's just there's just a.

Speaker 3 (57:34):
Way to run for office where you don't have to
actually connect with you beings. By the way, on that
last break, I, folks, I don't hear the music sometimes.
I was just talking away, having a great conversation with you,
and then you know, I look at the time and
I'm thinking, wow, I think we should be at a break,
And I look over at my screen and there I'm
being laughed at by our great producer and my co host.

Speaker 4 (57:56):
They're just having a good time at my expense. Had
no idea, just it was justification. It was justified laughter.
Oh that you just kept talking and talking. Wait, that's
very unusual for you to just keep talking and talking.
I know, unusual. We never hear that brand very.

Speaker 1 (58:14):
Very that's right.

Speaker 13 (58:16):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (58:16):
Before we go to our conversation with Bethany Mandel, a
couple of breaking news stories late tonight, Greg, I want
to pass along. First of all, who is the guy
who just quit the administration? Joe Kent?

Speaker 4 (58:26):
That is Kent.

Speaker 1 (58:27):
Well, there is word tonight that little Joey is under
FBI investigation for leaking sensitive information.

Speaker 3 (58:36):
So if you knew that was coming, wouldn't it be
good to get on the side of the regime media
and make it look like law air Trump people are
going after you because you criticized him. Maybe that could
be your out, that could be I don't know, just
thinking out loud.

Speaker 1 (58:49):
Yeah, little little Joey. Apparently it's in trouble tonight. And
then Brett Behar on Fox News just a few moments ago,
revelation in an explosive disclosure, that's the story. I'm reading.
New emails proved that Attorney General Merrick Garland, remember old Merrick. Well,
apparently they show he lied when he said that the
decision to raid mar Alago was his and his alone.

(59:12):
The raid was in fact orchestrated and ordered by Joe Biden. Wow, Wow,
pretty amazing. Yep, that's talk about corruption. And and look
what will we do about it? I mean, they'll ignore it.
The regime media will never mention it, nothing will ever
come of it. But it was it's a and I
guess it's like it's against a lot of light of Congress.

(59:33):
You're you're sworn in, it's it is a crime. Yeah.
And then and they'll get away with it. They played
dirty as much as they possibly can. And I think
sometimes Republicans just sit there going do do do, and
we don't do anything about it. Yep, right, all right, Uh,
let's talk about the libraries. Remember the good you used
to get kicked out of libraries? Is that correct? I did?

Speaker 6 (59:53):
I talk?

Speaker 4 (59:54):
Seventh credit?

Speaker 3 (59:56):
We had a we had a study hall and the
teacher said if I send you to the library on
the pass and you kicked out, you're getting paddled. And
that was actually not a threat, that was a promise.
And I got paddled for getting kicked out of the library.

Speaker 1 (01:00:06):
So it was carried out.

Speaker 4 (01:00:08):
Yeah, no, I did.

Speaker 3 (01:00:09):
I got three times in the seventh grade. That's a
public school too, by the way, not not the rulers
to the knuckles like the nuns. Did you run? I
was in a public school where they they embraced paddling. Yeah,
bad kids, you wouldn't. They wouldn't do that today.

Speaker 4 (01:00:22):
I was misunderstood. I wasn't. I was just misunderstood.

Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
Yeah, you're misunderstood, all right. I know they allowed paddling. Well,
I got the.

Speaker 3 (01:00:30):
Ruler to the knuckle, so I had to hold onto
a chair and everything. Really, yeah, you had to bring
in a witness, another teacher had to witness it.

Speaker 1 (01:00:37):
But yeah, how many how many swats did you get?

Speaker 8 (01:00:40):
Three?

Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
Three? One?

Speaker 4 (01:00:42):
Two, three?

Speaker 1 (01:00:43):
They were quick?

Speaker 4 (01:00:45):
Yeah, why two? And then three was like the hardest.

Speaker 1 (01:00:49):
Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Well, the good old days
of going to the library have certainly changed over time.
Because our next guest, and we love having Bethany on
the show, Bethany Mandel. She's a journalist and author joining
us on our Newsmaker line. But she's talking about what
she calls the quiet radicalization of the American library. Bethany,
thanks for joining us tonight. Exactly what is going on

(01:01:11):
with American American libraries.

Speaker 12 (01:01:13):
So it sounds like the most uninteresting story, the quiet
revolution of the libraries, but it's actually very interesting, I
promise you. So they're basically radicals within the American Library
Association and local libraries as well as you know the
activists who are are part of their activists. They're acting
as activists instead of a librarians, and so they're using

(01:01:36):
your tax dollars to do things from programming to book purchasing.
I had a small window of it when I released
the book three and a half years ago, actually three
years ago exactly. My local library has a section for
local authors, and they not only refuse to put my
book in that section, they refused to buy my book

(01:01:58):
at all.

Speaker 6 (01:02:00):
And so I spoke to a.

Speaker 12 (01:02:02):
Group of folks called the ALP, which I think is
a funny name, the Association for Library Professionals, about how
they're trying to reintroduce the idea of neutrality into libraries
because librarians have decided to abandon that and instead they
are activists and they're very open about that fact.

Speaker 3 (01:02:20):
So Bethany I was, I'm a recovering public servant. So
when I was in the legislative state legislature, we had
an advocacy group of libraries from public schools who were
really struggling to share with lawmakers that libraries were still relevant,
that they had they had an importance with students, and
they were because people were starting to see libraries as antiquated.

(01:02:40):
And they didn't strike me at the time as being
overly political or having an agenda because they were just
kind of trying to survive, survive. They wanted to still
be part of our public schools. Where did this happen
where they became so aggressive.

Speaker 12 (01:02:57):
So it happened, I think training programs, and this is
the same exact story in teachers College's pretty much exactly.
Radicals took control over teachers colleges and they also took
control over library management training programs, master's programs, and so
you have these radical teachers who have decided that their

(01:03:19):
job isn't to educate, but is instead to indoctrinate. And
the reach of these training programs is expensive because they
train the next generation who then disperse. And so libraries
are I think, are as egregious as schools because they're
using our tax dollars in a way to advance their

(01:03:39):
own political agenda, and they're doing it in some really
disturbing ways. And I think the most disturbing way is
something that is happening on the left very frequently.

Speaker 3 (01:03:47):
Now.

Speaker 12 (01:03:48):
They've decided to eliminate the idea of a child and
so you know, they're just a small adult as far
as progressives are concerned. And so you see this with
consenting to sex, will contact, changing their sexuality, but also
accessing materials that are not age appropriate. They think that

(01:04:08):
you should not restrict access to anything based on age.
That's discrimination. And so that's something that's really disturbing that's
happening in libraries, and it's happening in the literature space.
But then those books are being pushed into our libraries
with our tax dollars by these radical activists. Librarian.

Speaker 1 (01:04:24):
But best thing, I would have to believe that some
people who work in libraries, be it moms or dads,
have children, and would they want their children to read
these books or is really just all about access and
let the parent decide or the child to decide this.
I would think they'd be uncomfortable offering some of these books,
you'd think so.

Speaker 12 (01:04:41):
I mean, most of these folks are progressive, childless activists.
That is the stereotype. And so if you if you
spend any time in like library and social media, these
are single, young, progressive women who have taken it upon
themselves to become activists. And so the image that you

(01:05:02):
have of the past of like a sixty five year
old grandma who just wants to help you find Grim's
fairy tales, that woman doesn't exist anymore. Now it's you know,
no human is illegal, science is real, love is love.
It's that that version of progressive Now.

Speaker 3 (01:05:21):
You know, this isn't This is a timely interview. I
had a friend who is a public school teacher whose niece,
young niece has been checked out a book at the
library about two female dragons that developed in a romantic relationship.
And her siblings saw that her daughter was reading this
book and it was a series, and she said, no,

(01:05:41):
you're good, you got to pick a new one. And
like you said, they pointed to Harry Potter, but that's
not an option in that library. So two female dragons
having a relationship. There's also this gentleman who always felt feminine,
who needed a safe space. This is in a cartoon form,
in another child's book.

Speaker 4 (01:05:59):
This is in Utah.

Speaker 3 (01:06:00):
I think a lot of people would be surprised at
this content is available for children, even after all the attention.
There's been a lot of attention to this. What should
a parent do? That runs across this because, as I said,
this is just a random text I received today on
this very, very very same topic.

Speaker 12 (01:06:18):
So I love that question. I think it's my favorite question.
And the answer is, to become a Karen. It's to
report that you're uncomfortable. It's to report that you're uncomfortable
with the book. To the librarian. But then also you know,
if you have where I live in Maryland, the county
council oversees they have a liaison with the librarians or

(01:06:40):
with the libraries in general, and report it to them too.
Just see everyone in your Karen complaint, I'm uncomfortable with this.
I don't think this belongs in the children's section. There
should at least be an asterix. I mean, the thing
about this is you don't you're not asking for there
to just not have this book stocked. But parents should
not have to read an entire book. They should have

(01:07:03):
a pre warning that there are some parents who would
be uncomfortable with the topic in this book. I don't
think that giving that fyi to people does anything to them.
But they want to sneak this material and they want
our kids to read this. They want to do it
behind their backs, and so that's why they don't give
those warnings, because that kind of goes against the whole

(01:07:24):
point of what they're trying to do. But I would
recommend parents look at the one star reviews of every
book that your kid breaks home before they read it.
The one star reviews on Amazon almost always will give
you an indication of anything objectionable in the book.

Speaker 1 (01:07:42):
Bethane Mandel, she's an author or a journalist, joining us
talking about the quiet revolution taking place in American library s.
Greg and I have never heard. I think she called
it a one star review that you can find on
Amazon and it will give you details of a book
if you're a parent concerned about what they may be
reading right now. One star review. I've never heard of that.

Speaker 3 (01:08:00):
Of you, I haven't, but I'm telling you, if you
got kids in schools, it's time to coach yourself up
and look for those things because it's it's scary to
think of how much they've embedded this filth and inside
the schools.

Speaker 4 (01:08:13):
It's shocking.

Speaker 1 (01:08:14):
Yeah, all right, more coming up the Rod and Greg Show.
We roll along on this Wednesday afternoon here on Utah's
Talk Radio one O five nine. Okay and r S.
We're going to be talking about the proposed oil facility
oil refinery should say that the President announced last week
will be built in Brownsville, Texas, and some of the
challenges it faces us Coming up at the bottom of

(01:08:34):
the hour, Greg, it's been fun. I'm not sure how
much access where you are today, how much access you've
had when it comes to social media. But I've been
watching social media during the show today and it's just interesting,
interesting to see how the libs are freaking out over
this New York Times story today on Caesar Chavez. They

(01:08:55):
not know how to deal with this.

Speaker 3 (01:08:57):
They've yeah, they this has been there, you know, their
north star. They've named everything after him. I told you
in California there's forty two schools alone named after this guy.
And they've got ten miles of road they've got, they've
got they've got all kinds of places. I don't know
what they're gonna do. I'm actually surprised a story like
this actually did break because of the ripple effect, the consequence.

(01:09:19):
Did you think they'd bury this thing long gone? So
it's it's surprised me.

Speaker 1 (01:09:23):
Was their front page today in the Times? I didn't
see the New York Times today? Was it front page?

Speaker 11 (01:09:27):
You know?

Speaker 4 (01:09:28):
I you know, I don't let me. I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:09:31):
Oh, I've seen it in on is the UH is
the UH on online online? But I'm looking right now
on the on the website.

Speaker 1 (01:09:40):
Well, if you're just joining us, let's get you up
to speed on this. The New York Times has this
explosive story today as how Caesar Shavez, who has been
hailed a hero by Democrats for a long long time.
I mean, I remember back in sixty eight Robert F.
Kennedy marching with him and going through the fields, and
you know, fighting for migrant workers' rights. And you know,
like you Greg, you've had schools, you've had streets. He

(01:10:02):
was given them. Was he given the Medal of Freedom?

Speaker 3 (01:10:05):
Yes, by President Obama in twenty twelve. I'm looking at
the website. It's it's there. Caesarsavs civil rights icon is
accused of abusing girls for years. Yeah, twelve year olds,
thirteen year olds.

Speaker 1 (01:10:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:10:17):
The person who was that worked with him, Hortis, she was.
She claimed she was raped twice by him. That produced
eight children that were raised by other families. But yeah,
it's it's it's it's a long list, and it's it's
a This has been a multi year investigation. Even Caesar
Chave has his own families come out with a statement

(01:10:39):
saying that these allegations look to be true, that there
there is evidence that he was wow, that he had
this this impropriety with with women and underage kids, and
they're they're upset by it, I mean, but they admit
it in their public statement today.

Speaker 1 (01:10:53):
And what's so hard for them to handle? Greg? It's
coming from the New York Times. You know, if five
students reported this, you'd see liberal in the country going
after Fox News saying it's fake news, blah blah blah.
But this is coming from the one media outlet democrats
and liberals in this country all depend on for telling
what they believe is the truth. Well, the New York

(01:11:14):
Times is apparently now reporting the truth on Caesar Chavez.
They do not know how to handle this. They don't
know what to do with this. You know, we have,
as you mentioned earlier, as we were talking about this
on the show today, we have a Caesar Chavez Boulevard
right here in Salt Lake City. It's on Fifth South.
Many of you may be driving by it right now.
What is Aaron Mendenhall and the city council in Salt

(01:11:36):
Lake City going to do now? Because the family basically
is admitted. Yeah, they're kind of right. The New York Times.

Speaker 3 (01:11:44):
I'm telling you, I sit here confused because just look
at our last interview with beth Andy Mendel. We're talking
about adult contact, the sexualizing of children that are in
our public libraries, the things that are being taught, or
the books that are being made in fictionalized that are
not they are adult. It's adult content. And so it
seems you can argue that the Left has not been

(01:12:06):
overly concerned with the welfare of children for quite some time,
no certainly in the schools. And what concepts and issue
adult issues they want to put in front of these children. Well,
Caeesar Chavez a leftist hero, you know, and one that
I mean, Biden had his bust in his Oval office.
It's all about the children that he molested and that

(01:12:29):
he sexually assaulted. And so it's a big hit. And
I wonder why on one hand they can fill a
library or put in library such harmful material for children.
And then in the next breath you'll see the New
York Times they're taking down what's been an icon for
the left and for unions as far as I can remember,
and it's it's causing some real reverberations in the It's

(01:12:52):
very awkward for him, let's just say that, very awkward
for the left.

Speaker 1 (01:12:56):
And something like this, Greg and I'm not sure if
you've ever known anybody like this who've been involved in situations.

Speaker 4 (01:13:02):
But with.

Speaker 1 (01:13:04):
Some people just have a funny feeling about a guy,
don't they. I mean they're in the back of their mind,
they're kind of wondering what maybe going on or not
going on here. And it's taken what more than forty
fifty years for this to come out, and between that time,
nobody has ever said anything. Matter of fact, one of
his key allies, a woman who worked with him, said
today she has been withholding the fact that he raped

(01:13:27):
her twice when she was working for the organization years ago,
got pregnant as a result of those rapes, and basically said,
I didn't want to bring it out because I wanted
to protect the movement. I mean, really, how crazy is that?

Speaker 4 (01:13:41):
You know? And and sixty years she kept this.

Speaker 3 (01:13:44):
He's ninety six years old, ninety six years old and
now finally admitting openly, at least to these investigative reporters
that this had happened. And I've seen some of the
of the chatter you have now, people saying, well, she
didn't come out in time, so she must have something
to gain from it now. And there's people that are
there in denial they're still in denial. Even if it's
the New York Times that are saying is reporting it,

(01:14:06):
they still don't want to believe it. Or they're just now,
you know, shaming those that are claiming to be victims
when they were miners. Or her, the artist, the woman
that was like a co founder of the movement, that
she should have brought this up long ago.

Speaker 4 (01:14:22):
So you're going to see some of that commentary come out.
I think once they get their moorings.

Speaker 3 (01:14:25):
I mean, Fresno States already put black tarps and bags
over the statue on their campus. Uh, there's already action
happening around the country. So we'll see, we'll see what
they what they do. Wasn't it the Me Too movement
that said believe all women? Oh yeah, it wasn't apparently
only some women. Yeah not if it interrupts your leftist agenda.

(01:14:47):
And then then you have even Kevin Newsom's like, I'm
open to changing these things. Let's not be too rap,
you know, let's not let you know, sexual assaults of
children's just like you know, make us jump to conclude.

Speaker 4 (01:15:00):
No, no, let's just tap the breaks.

Speaker 1 (01:15:02):
Let's not do that. Come on, crazy, crazy, all right,
We've got another half hour coming your way here on
the Rod and Greg Show and Utah's Talk Radio one
O five nine an rs. What has ever happened to
James Carville? I mean, you know, back ninety two he
coined the phrase it's the economy stupid. You know, he
was a pretty astute political observer at one time. But
do you hear the latest from Carville today? Greg? No,

(01:15:25):
he said Trump will tap out in the year and
he won't be president in twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 4 (01:15:30):
Yeah, he is alone.

Speaker 3 (01:15:31):
He says, I have Trump de arrangement syndrome, and I
couldn't I want it more? He says, I mean he
he has absolutely lost his wow warrings. I don't know
if he's eating mushrooms or if he's been sniffing, you know,
exhaust fumes. I don't know, but his brain isn't all there.
There wasn't much brain to start with. Petty, I'm telling
you he has lost it.

Speaker 1 (01:15:47):
Is he still married to Mary Matlin?

Speaker 3 (01:15:49):
You know, you never see her any never hear much
plastic surgery. She was looking like an extra terrestrial there,
so I don't know, maybe she's been teleported up, but you.

Speaker 1 (01:16:01):
Never see her anyone. Are they still together?

Speaker 4 (01:16:04):
Yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:16:05):
I could live with that guy's nuts. Man. Donald Trump
loves to be a builder. He loves building things. He
liked th re modeling things. I mean, look what he's doing.
What the White House. Apparently the Kennedy Center, the Trump
Kennedy Center is going to be shutting down for a
couple of years because he wants to bring it back
and restore it. Today it's greatness and it's been allowed
to deteriorate over the years under the rule of the Democrats.

(01:16:27):
So he wants to bring it back.

Speaker 4 (01:16:29):
It's a good time to do it too.

Speaker 3 (01:16:30):
You've got a lot of performers that are boycotting it,
and so their their their performance performances have dropped, and
there's a ton of deferred maintenance and work that needs
to be done to the place.

Speaker 2 (01:16:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:16:41):
And so, by the way, I think, I don't think
it was his idea to put his name on the
Kennedy Center that now the Trump Kennedy Center. It was
done because he was really gonna He's turning it around.
He's turning it around in real time that it has
been left to be to decay and not and and
really fall into disrepair. So it's it's a big it's
a good thing that he's put his attention towards that.

Speaker 1 (01:17:02):
Yeah, well, I've never heard of this, but apparently there
is a council within the administration called the Permitting Council.
And what this council has done is they've approved thirteen
major infrastructure projects this year, compared to just seventeen in
Biden's four years as president. They're currently working on fifty
three other projects. They're basically saying, hey, if we want

(01:17:24):
to be able to compete with China, we have got
to get underway and build some of these very important
infrastructure projects. And that's what it's all about.

Speaker 3 (01:17:32):
It absolutely is. And you know, you look at our country.
We have fallen behind other even I hate to say it,
but there are you know, there's third world countries that
are actually getting transportation infrastructure up and built quicker than
you do in the United States. It's become so litigious
the environmentalists slow it all down. It's an embarrassment. Yeah,

(01:17:54):
the United States has fallen behind in those areas and
it needs some leadership, like the president.

Speaker 1 (01:17:58):
Well, the big announcement last week the President made was
that the US would see its first new refinery constructed
in nearly fifty years. The proposed project is an initiative
by what's the name of the company, American first refiner
were built in Brownsville, Texas. Well, let's dig into this
a little bit more. Joining us on any our newsmaker line.
It's Kevin Killo is energy reporter at Just the News.

(01:18:20):
Kevin has always great to have you back on the show.
Tell us about the refinery and what's going to happen here.

Speaker 14 (01:18:26):
Well, it could provide quite a few benefits. There's you know,
especially the way they're going to do it. They want
to use light suee cruit. It's a grade of oil
that comes out of our shale plays all of our
not all of our refineries. First of all, this is
in the first refinery in fifty years. It's the first
refinery capable of producing some one hundred and thirty thousand

(01:18:49):
barrels that refined products per day in fifty wow. So
most large refineries were built in the nineteen seventies before
we had all this oil coming out of our shell
plays things to cracking. So uh, most of our oil
is the heavy, most of the oil that our refineries
used is a heavy sour crude and we have to

(01:19:10):
import a lot of it. So this would basically cut
out a lot of importing and allow us to refine
oil produced right in America a lot more of it.
So in that regard, it would be fantastic. Now, this
company America First Refining, it's uh uh, it's a rebranding
of Elemental Holdings. Elemental Holdings was founded uh and led

(01:19:33):
by the guy and they set out to also build
the first refinery and uh, I'm not sure what happened.
That kind of fizzled out, but that one had a
hydrogen component where they were going to create hydrogen on
site with natural gas and carbon caps was a mix
called blue hydrogen, uh, And then they were going to

(01:19:56):
use that hydro the power of their facility, which really
didn't make a whole lot of sense, because you know,
why not induce the gas or some turbine and then
use carbon produce the same thing. Because hydrogen is not
an energy source, it's an energy carrier. So you use
energy to create the hydrogen and then you lose some

(01:20:17):
energy when you burn it. But you know, chances are
they were trying to appeal to the Biden administry, which
kind of makes sense. You know, if you're making a
refinery under the Biden administration, they're not real hot on
petroleum products, and so you kind of throw in, oh,
and we're going to produce hydrogen. So probably you know,
that was the appeal, and they've had a couple other
attempts where this didn't come up, and you know, these

(01:20:40):
attempts that haven't succeeded. That's not really a comment on
the merits of what they're trying to do. It's very
hard to build a refiner. It's very capital intensive. You
need a lot of investment, and you need a lot
of permitting, and you're going to face a lot of
litigation from environmental groups who are going to want to
stop you from building it. So, uh, you know, there's

(01:21:00):
a long road ahead. You know, the question is can
they pull it off off again.

Speaker 2 (01:21:06):
If they do, like I.

Speaker 14 (01:21:07):
Said, it's going to use American petroleum, that's good for everybody.
It's definitely going to provide something we badly need, which
increased the refining facts.

Speaker 3 (01:21:16):
You know, Kevin, you've been very clear eyed about why
how difficult it is to see there's a reason there
hasn't been a refinery that produces the refines over one
hundred and thirty five thousand barrels a day in having
been built in the United States for fifty years. And
it's because of the regulatory hurdles, it's because of the
lawsuits from environmentalists, it's because of there's just a lot
to it. When this announcement came, I kind of assumed

(01:21:38):
that the Trump administration was signaling that they were going
to fast track or change some of that. This problem
doesn't just exist with the refineries. It's building bridges, rail
you name it. I mean third world countries can develop
things a lot faster than the United States because it's
become so litigious, it's become so overregulated. Is there nothing
that the Trump administration can do? And I know this

(01:21:59):
time Horizon's law than one administration, But is there nothing
they can do to streamline some of the permitting processes
or even the litigation to get a refinery built. It's
it's the reason it's a good idea to have one.
I got to imagine, you've got them shutting down in California,
so we're getting less as time moves on, which can't
be a good thing. What can the Trump administration do,
so it's not so prohibitive to build a new refinery.

Speaker 14 (01:22:23):
Well, the Trump administration definitely is the reason they're trying
this again, and this time there's no hydrogen component, so
they're just going for the refinery, which is great. Trump has,
you know, with his unleashing of American energy policies, definitely
made such a thing much more attractive. So you know,
they're jumping in on the ground floor here and saying, hey,

(01:22:46):
we've got this administration. They're friendly towards fossil fields, they're
not going to actively work to block it, and so
it's a good time to invest in such a thing. Now,
how much the Trump administration can do, Well, one of
the big permits they need is the EPA permit. Now
those take you know, five to seven years, that's my understanding,

(01:23:07):
and that that it's an air permit they need, so
it's kind of go into the next administration. Now, the
Trump administration can definitely, you know, try and expedite that
as much as possible. I'm not sure they can get
it passed by the time the administration, uh, before there's
a new administration and you know, who knows what that's gony.

Speaker 6 (01:23:27):
So.

Speaker 14 (01:23:29):
They can in terms of a litigation their options. You know,
they can file supportive brief, you know, front of the
court brief, that kind of thing. You know, Uh, there's
not a lot they can do in that regard. Most
of that's going to be up to the company and
in the judicial branch and so and you know, those
environmental groups they have a lot of money. They can

(01:23:50):
file many lawsuits and they can really keep this thing
tied up in court for a long time.

Speaker 1 (01:23:55):
Kevin, final question for you. We appreciate as always you
joining the program. A Realistically, if you look at the
time frame, everything goes smoothly, which we don't expect that
it will, none of us do. I mean realistically, when
are you looking at them producing that first bear?

Speaker 14 (01:24:11):
Well, they say they're going to break ground in April.
You know, I would be surprised, you know, if they're
producing in any kind of you know, it's almost certainly
going to be the next administration of the one after
that before they're producing. And this entirely speculation. It's hard
to say. I just know how these things often go.

(01:24:32):
They can be really tied up in court. Like I said, so, uh,
they're gonna they say they're gonna break ground in April.
Who knows what that means. They could be doing some grading,
you know, moving some dird around. I seriously doubt they're
doing serious construction, uh, you know, in April.

Speaker 6 (01:24:46):
So we'll see.

Speaker 14 (01:24:47):
But you know, let's let's hope it does move quickly
and uh, you know, maybe this whole thing with Iran
and the gas prices, people will realize, you know, having
facilities here at home to you utilize our American petroleum,
it's going to be a great benefit to everyone.

Speaker 1 (01:25:03):
Kevin, thank you very much. Kevin Kilo from just the
News talking about the first refinery which could be built
in this country in more than what fifty years. Greg
down on Brownsville, Texas. Boy, we needed and it's good
to see the president as leads trying to get the
ball moving on that.

Speaker 3 (01:25:17):
Yeah, while you got California, you got companies that are
writing off a billion dollar loss and just walking away
from their refineries, which again they're not making new ones.
That's an asset that you don't get back. But to
try and and work in California's impossible, so they're writing
them off. It is time to turn the tide and
see some new ones. Constructed.

Speaker 1 (01:25:37):
And did you see what Trump just did in California
by opening up that pipeline And apparently California is going crazy,
but apparently is on federal land. There's nothing they can
do about it. And I guess it delivers oil from
the offshore rigs into California. And the nut jobs out
there in California you're going crazy over this. But Trump said, hey,
you need the oil, we'll get it to you.

Speaker 3 (01:25:57):
You know, they had a quit worrying about oil and
go fix that. You wanna toilet they got in that
Pacific Ocean? Anyway, they're supposed to care about the environment.
I don't know if you notice, but it's a it's
worse than a porter party out there. Go work on that,
Go spend your time on that. Yet in Viros, you geez,
do you want a toilet? Yeah, it's just a it's
filling up the Pacific Ocean. It's just terrible. You know,

(01:26:20):
go go spend every day on that. Go fix that,
and then after you're done with that, then you can
talk about something else.

Speaker 1 (01:26:25):
Yeah, okay, you're leading that charge right on corn out
of Island.

Speaker 4 (01:26:29):
I'm trying, Yeah, I'm trying.

Speaker 1 (01:26:30):
Yeah, Yeah, all right, more coming up. Final segment, Rod
and Greg with you on Utah's Talk Radio one oh five.
Die can arrest boy. The show is flown by today.

Speaker 4 (01:26:39):
It really has. Yeah, it's been great, good show.

Speaker 1 (01:26:42):
It's been fun, fun talking today. When you think of
the state of Texas, Greg, what are some of the
things that come to mind immediately?

Speaker 4 (01:26:50):
Uh, steaking cowboy hats, steaking cowboy hats, thinking out loud, Yeah, yeah,
steak And I.

Speaker 1 (01:26:56):
Would say, I would say oil oh yeah, yeah yeah, JR.
Ew Ing, Yeah, it's a given oil right, And I'm
with you. I'm thinking about cowboys, but a different kind
of cowboy. The guys sorry about your cowboys? Yeah, yeah
for you, Well, sorry about that. I wanted to bring
that up because there's that guy by the name of
what is it, James tall Errico who beat out Crockett

(01:27:19):
in the Democratic primary right and now running against either
John Cornin or Ken Paxton, whoever gets the Republican nominee
in that state. Well, come to find out, this guy
is nuttier than a fruitcake. He's out there right Well,
in a state that prides itself on cows, here's you

(01:27:39):
got a guy who back in twenty twenty two, just
four short years ago, said this about vegan We have.

Speaker 13 (01:27:46):
I think heard more and more issues of animal welfare.
I think not just because it's the right thing to
do and the moral thing to do, but also it's,
as all of you know, necessary to fight climate change.
It is now existential that we try to reduce our
meat consumption and that we try to respect animals in
all aspects of society. And so I am proud to

(01:28:07):
say that our campaign has officially become a non meat campaign.
So we have we are we are only buying vegan
products from our local vegan businesses. Some of you may
know big nonas. They were little nonas and then they
opened up brick and mortars and they're big nonas. But
we just got our pizza from there today. And so

(01:28:29):
the point is that I think all of us, not
just policymakers, but everyone has to take personal responsibility in
this effort.

Speaker 1 (01:28:38):
It's so a guy who's running for the US Senate
to represent the state of Texas does like cattle.

Speaker 3 (01:28:45):
Yeah, you know, you know this is a thing. Well,
we're seeing a trend of Democrats. They just want to
they want to just herald, they just want to cause play.
They now they got the kid that's a pastor who's
a leftist. Before that, it was Beta Rourke. Yeah, and
it goes on.

Speaker 1 (01:29:00):
It's just just kind of nutty. That's where the Democrats
are headed. All right, great show coming your way tomorrow.
It has been good being with you today, Greg, Continue
to enjoy San Diego. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Head up,
shoulders to ye, head up, shoulders back,

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