January 1, 2026 • 45 mins
Happy New Year! Stigall returns on January 5th, but wanted to start the new year with brand new content you’ve never heard. Author of American Leviathan and the leader of American Majority, Ned Ryun joins Stigall for a wide ranging discussion on the current health of the GOP - the issues upon which they cannot cede ground - and the issues they must avoid and overcome if they’re to keep control of Congress this fall. Ned is surprisingly bullish on the prospect and he explains why. Plus, a healthy discussion about the influencer/podcast class seemingly sewing nothing but chaos and division at the worst possible time.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's bring up Christ to Golf.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It is Chris to God Risk Gall.
Speaker 3 (00:03):
I'm joined now by Christigall, most of.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
The Christ of Goall Show, so let's brand talk radio
host Chris Togall.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Also his podcast is a musk listen every day Christa
Gall Show podcast and host of the Christgall Show.
Speaker 4 (00:14):
Let's Bring in Christa Gall.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Pay You welcome Chris Speak Gall to.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Chris to Gall podcast is presented by US Medical Plan
dot com. Save big money monthly and get better health
covers at US Medicalplan dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Hey, they're merry Christmas, and I guess I will say
a happy New Year. Welcome into the Christagall Show podcast.
I want to say thank you for another tremendous year
of support. Your downloads and your regularly scheduled attention to
this show means more than I can say. Our entire
family that puts the show together every day, they work
so hard to give you content, hopefully quality content you enjoy.
(00:50):
We didn't want to leave you without quality content during
the holidays. While we're taking some time away, we've put
together from some various shows, some special long form interviews.
There will be some repeat content of some shows and
segments that we really enjoyed. Maybe they're new to you
if you missed them before. But over the next few days,
while we're away taking some time with family, I hope
you're able to as well. But we never want to
(01:10):
leave you without something to enjoy and listen to. And
today's show and future shows hopefully will be no exception.
We're going to be back with brand new programming on
January fifth. But one thing that I want you to know,
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one or US medicalplan dot com. Well, Happy New Year,
and welcome in to this edition of The Stagall Show,
one of the great ways to kick off the brand
new year. A friend of the show, a guy I've
gotten to know well and one of the smartest conservative
thinkers that I know, because he's consistent, you know, in
a day and age where I'm just not entirely sure
who you can trust. They run hot, they run cold,
(03:18):
they start popping off about things that make no sense,
and you're like, who's that guy? I used to really
like him. That's not Ned, My buddy. Ned's an entirely
different guy. He's the founder and CEO of American Majority,
author of American Leviathan and first of all, Mary Christmas,
Happy New Year to you, Ned. Thank you so much
for making time for us today.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
My friend, absolutely, Chris, great to be with you.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
I hate to put you in this spot and I
don't even want to start with a negative, but I
do kind of have to you. And I have not
really talked a lot about this, and I don't want
to linger on it, but I do. I've been thinking
about it a lot, just in terms of how to
talk to the audience. I think most of our audiences,
yours and mine, your readers, this audience they're sophisticated. They
don't need us telling them what to think about anything.
(04:00):
I never presume to tell anybody what to think. But
there is a whole new industry of host, podcaster, streamer,
whatever you want to call them, who builds sort of this.
I don't know. I don't want to insult necessarily, but
it seems to be more about the host and the
drama surrounding the host than advancing the country or bettering
(04:22):
the situation or fixing a problem. Need That's my interpretation yours.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You make an interesting point, something that I've thought about,
in fact, have thought about doing maybe my own podcast,
just to show people you can actually have a rational
podcast about how DC works. It doesn't have to be sensational.
It can be meaningful, it can be interesting, and it
will advance the ball instead of trying to get clicks.
In some ways, I understand the hyper self interest chris
(04:50):
of some of these folks. Obviously, the more sensational, the
more clicks, the more views, the more money. At the
same time, I'm not always sure that it's the most
beneficial for the movement and for us advancing the CA
and actually having real rational conversations about how we're going
to win because at the end of the day, everything
that I try to do, whether it's American Majority, whether
it's my thought pieces, whether it's my TV commentary, my books,
(05:11):
you name it, the whole point is to actually win.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
It's not to.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Be famous, it's not to somehow enrich myself. It's how
do you actually win so that when your day is done,
which all of our days will be done at some point,
you've actually left this place in a much better state
than when you found it. And my hope, my sincere
hope with everything that I do, is that people will
(05:38):
look back and say, you know, NED did something very
meaningful that led I hope, I pray to the restoration
of the republic and true representative government.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
And we're nowhere near that right now.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
So you know, I hope that more and more people
will catch that vision and push towards that, because I
think we could actually see some really interesting things over
the next few years if we could actually point in
the right direction.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
This isn't about any given individual.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
It's about how can we make this country what it
should be and restore what we were given.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
It is the Again, I don't want to linger on
this as a negative, but I do think it's important.
I love what that's beautifully said. Is the business model
in the new media eco system. Is that the problem?
See now, i still work for the Salem Media Group,
and I'm proud to do so. And as such, I've
said a thousand times, you know who sponsors this show.
(06:31):
I'm transparent. The show doesn't happen unless I have sponsors
and commercials irritate people. I get it. But you know
exactly who backs this show because you hear me talk
about them. I worry that in this new world of
as you say, everybody trying to get clicks and be sensational,
and that downloads who the hell's funding all of these people?
(06:53):
And I think that matters.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Ned So you bring up an interesting point of something
I've experienced a few months ago. So, first of all, Chris,
incentive structures lead to certain behavior, right, and you can
see that in politics. I've been involved in politics for
a very long time, especially when it comes down to
the consulting class, and how there are incentive structures that
lead to certain behaviors that lead to certain outcomes. Now
(07:17):
in regards to full transparency in regards to who's funding people.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Oh, I would love that one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I mean, I got into a situation back in late
summer early fall regarding someone who I thought was very
key at the FDA. Then I prosad and I know
that there were people attacking him, like Laura Lumer, who
were being paid for it. They were not honest about it,
they were not transparent about it, and it became one
of those things wrong. I was up against pharmaceutical money
(07:46):
and I was doing it because I was not actually
being paid.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Chris, I knew this is the right thing. I've been
in DC twenty five years.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I have seen this play out again and again, where
interests fund people to take out someone they view as
a threat to their financial heads interests. And I'm kind
of giving the cliff notes of what took place in August,
but my biggest frustration is that we couldn't have honesty
about who was funding the attacks un benignh what they
were being paid, and what their ultimate goal was. And
(08:14):
to me, I think, you know, we can talk about this.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
I hope we would.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Actually be able to reach some sort of state in
the future where we can have this.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
I'm not holding my breath.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yeah, that leads me to the audience for it. We
can't ignore and deny that there is a healthy audience
for what some of these folks are selling and peddling
and talking about. And it breaks my heart because I
think again, I think it's self interest and a lot
of misdirected anger and confusion and not solutions to anything.
(08:45):
But there's an audience for it because of what I
call revelation addiction, particularly among young men in this country
who don't feel they are being represented or heard, and
they feel browbeaten and oppressed for one of a better term.
They've been told they're no good because the white or
they're straight, or they're Christian, or their men or what
have you. And so there's a white hot audience for
(09:07):
this kind of those people are keeping you down. Let's
go get the bastards, and that's kind of keeping them
in this perpetual state of rage feeding rather than fixing anything.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
No, this is a backlash over from the last ten, fifteen,
twenty years in which especially young white males have been told,
first of all, your toxic. You shouldn't trying to beat
out of them literally in many ways, beat out of
them who they inherently are as young men, the masculinity,
(09:42):
and then not only being told there's something wrong with you,
but because you are a white male, we're going to
shut you out of certain opportunities.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Moving forward, what do you think is going to happen?
Speaker 1 (09:55):
At some point there's going to be deep resentment and
anger and a backlas against that behavior. I think this
is one of the reasons, I would argue one of
the main reasons you saw a shift towards Trump among
certain demographics. It wasn't because of certain organizations. You see
seismic shifts like that, because of this massive cultural backlash
(10:16):
how they've been treated. And you know, I'll share anecdotally.
We live in western Laden County, Virginia, not exactly a
very conservative place anymore, if I'm being honest, we are
truly the suburbs of the sewer.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I don't want to call it the swamp anymore.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
It's the sewer in which you have a lot of
people that are dependent upon the government. They are not conservative.
They are beholden to government large esse largness.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
You have seen.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
I have seen a dynamic among the younger generations that
play football with my son in which I know their
parents are not conservative. I know that they're probably Democrats,
and yet the young men on the football team.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Are wearing America Make America Great hats.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
They are huge fans of Trump, and it's like rebel
with a cause, and the rebel with the cause is Trump,
because somebody actually might stand up for them and give
them a chance at being able to experience all that
they should be able to experience in the future. So
I think that we're not even close to seeing the
full extent of this backlash. The thing that concerns me
(11:22):
is that there are Charlatans that have slipped in that
are rage monkeys who are trying to stoke that rage
again for self interest, but it's not a meaningful conversation.
In fact, I think they're making the situation worse. I'm
referring to Nick Fuintes, and I think there's got to
be a conversation in which other voices are elevated that
can actually have meaningful conversations with this younger generation of
(11:45):
men and go, here's how we think we're going to
be successful to give you all the opportunities that I
truly believe in many ways they're entitled to in the future.
But again, there's a great sorting out that has to
take place.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I mean, ned I again, I don't. I'm trying to
avoid names only because I don't want to stir it up.
But I will say I was kind of shocked a
couple of weeks ago to see, of all people, Alex
Jones saying, hey, everybody, let's settle down and stop attacking
and making our focus exclusively Israel, because we're missing the
point and the forest for the trees by not addressing
(12:19):
radical Islam that wants to kill us all. And I thought,
holy crap, Alex Jones is now the new center right?
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Do we actually think the greatest issue of our days
is somehow how we feel about Israel? This to me
is very frustrating because we're injuring. We're in a midterm
year that I think is as critical as twenty twenty
four was for the future of this country, the future
of the restoration of the Republic.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Twenty twenty six is.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
The next step that you cannot actually validate or fulfill
the promise of the twenty twenty four elections unless you
win in twenty twenty six, and there's no givens Chris.
I mean, I think we're in for a battle I
think the economy people will be able to I think,
I hope, I pray, start to be able to feel
the economy turning in their favor by the summer. I
(13:09):
think you can see it in the gas prices. I
think you're going to start to see it in some
of the grocery prices. First probably second quarter. They have
to be able to feel it. And at the same time,
I think there's going to be some things. You know again,
I think we're going to win the redistricting wars. I
think Louisiana versus KLA. Hopefully the Supreme Courts can decide
that January is going to go in our favor, might
give us another suc seeds. But if we don't win
(13:31):
in November of this year, I think we've got serious
problems in what this actually looks like. So let's not
be distracted by these little I consider issues that are
not anywhere near important enough for us to waste time on.
When our priority should be what does the future of
the country look like. We have to have political power
(13:52):
in the hands of the right people for as long
as possible. The greatest threats to this country are not
some of these things that are offshore even though again
I think we've got serious issues with China and everything else.
I think some of the most serious threats to our
freedom into our way of life are on our shores.
I think the bureaucratic state, I think the massive invasion
that took place under the Biden administration, all of these
(14:13):
of illegal immigrants. So I think there's a whole host
of things that need to be dealt with that should
be the focus. That ain't one of them.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
American Leviathan is ned Ryan's best selling book, The Birth
of the Administrative State and Progressive Authoritarianism. Ned the president's
first year. We've now been through almost a calendar year
of President Trump. I also maintain that this has bubbled up,
this thing we've been talking about because it's not particularly
sexy right now. There's not a lot of conflict. President
(14:42):
Trump is in my view for the most part. Yes,
we can pick around the edges, certainly, but for the
most part, he's steamrolling ahead, and he's doing it. Maybe
a solo, one man wrecking ball, but he's doing it.
And I think it leaves a lot of people in
the commentariat who were pro Trump sort of without sexy
storyline and so out of boredom or to kind of
(15:03):
spice it up. They're going in another direction. You think
I'm right about that.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
It might be a little bit right.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
There's so much success, it's almost like they're tired of winning,
and it's not very exciting to talk about.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
But I think it is no no.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
I think when you start to understand what he has
accomplished in this first year with relatively obviously, I think
it's what three seats in the House, very narrow majority,
a little bit better in the Senate, but not like
we're dealing with a massive majority in the Senate either.
The wins that he has had, not only because of
what he has done through the article to Executive Branch,
(15:36):
but also the big beautiful bill.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
I just want to remind people that.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Was a massive, massive win, not only for Trump but
for the country as well. Not only did it codify
twenty eight of his executive orders, made his tax cuts permanent,
cut one point four million illegals from medicaid, defunded the
Green New Deal. But I think one of the most
important wins that I think needs a lot more recognition,
and going back to illegal immigration, another funding for another
(16:03):
seven hundred and one miles of border wall, one hundred
and seventy five billion in total for border security, for ice,
all of these things that are massive structural changes, Chris.
So even if we don't hold political power in the future,
we hold it long enough to complete the wall and
get all these things in place, it's going to be
a lot harder for them to do what they did
under Biden's four years with basically through almost three hundred
(16:25):
executive orders lowering border security and then funneling billions upon
billions of our taxpayer dollars into these NGOs for immigrant resettlement.
I think you put in these structural changes, it's going
to make it harder for them to do that in
the future, you know. And then I look at all
the other things he's done on domestic energy production. Another
million barrels of oil a day. That leads to lower
(16:46):
gas prices, which leads to lower transportation causes, which leads
to lower grocery prices.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
Leads to lower product prices.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So I look at all of these wins that have
taken place in the first year. Like I said, there's
no guarantees we're winning in the mid but I'm more
bullish than I think some other people are.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
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year with the discovery that, in fact, what we probably
all could have concluded without the discovery, the FBI cash
Betel turning over documents to the Senate, saying the FBI
(20:45):
under Joe Biden, the Chris Ray FBI told Merrick Garland's DJ,
you don't have the goods to raid mar A Lago,
and Merrick Garland and DJ pushed to raid mar a lago. Anyway,
I think that is the most fundamentally chilling moment, save
(21:07):
Donald Trump nearly being killed, in modern American and political history.
That moment that raid of that home happened was the
moment that I decided we've lost to the country if
that's not corrected. So Trump is one that's half of it. Now,
what do we do about it.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
You've got to have fundamental reforming. You have to reform
these institutions. I would argue, you know, the FBI. It's
one thing to have these institutions and various departments and.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Agencies under our control.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
At the moment, we shouldn't be just passing time by
being in control. This is a moment to actually fundamentally
reform the FBI and other parts of this government. Again,
it's no state secret how I feel that the administrative
state must be deconstructed, it must be devolved, it must
be shattered into a million pieces. We have political power
for a reason, Chris, and it's not just again to
(21:59):
pass time and go, oh, that just a great time
that we had power for those four years. Hopefully it's
longer than that. But we should actually look at it
like progressives look at it. We were given political power
for a reason is not to pass time. It's not
to trim around the edges. It's to actually fundamentally reform
and reimagine what this government looks like. And so the
(22:19):
thing that's a little concerning, Although I see great signs,
what two hundred and seventy one thousand federal employees have
been removed from government under the first year of Trump
another whim that should be get some more recognition and
be highlighted.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
But that to me is about a third of what
should be removed. I call it the eight hundred thousand figures.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
To me, the mark where if you have that many
people removed in the four years of Trump, you're actually
making real progress on deconstructing and devolving the power of
the administrative state. But if the FBI by the time
we're done with this Trump administration the second term is
still in its current shape, form and size, we will
have failed the American people.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Yes, and Cash Patel, you know talk as you and
I are speaking today, I don't know what to believe exactly.
I have a professional acquaintance with Dan Bongino. I'm not
close by any means, and I certainly don't know, but
some say he's already packticed things and he intends to leave.
There have been reports of friction there. You know, Miranda
Devine has done reporting that there's dissension in the ranks
(23:20):
and the cash is in over his head. And obviously
there's been long criticism of Pam Bondi. The president has
stuck with these people. Though yes, I don't know how
to read that. I still don't, and I understand people
feeling impatient. I also understand what building a case and
the law requires. So I'm trying to be discerning here.
How does Ned Ryan see these these players in particular
(23:42):
in reform.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Maybe maybe the beginnings of some frustration, if I'm being
completely honest, but at the same time, a realistic approach
these institutions, whether it's dj FBI, you name it, literally
every department agency in my mind here in the DC
area that's part of the administrative state. This didn't happen overnight.
(24:05):
I mean, if you want to go back, I'm not
going to bore people.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
With the history of it.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
This started over one hundred and ten years ago. I
would argue the corruption that we really see, the deep
rooted corruption accelerated under Obama, say the last decade.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Right, you don't go.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
In in the first year and are able to reform
something that took years and years to get to that point.
So there's kind of the point where I'm like, Okay,
we need to accelerate on some of these fronts. At
the same time, you know, Rome wasn't built in a
day kind of mentality. But I definitely am not going
to stop beating the drama on there should be reformed,
We should restructure these institutions, we should downsize them. I
(24:43):
think the FBI needs to be its power needs to
be devolved.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
It should be just white collar crime.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
I think any counter terrorism stuff should be in another department,
maybe DHS, although that's another one that I'd like to
see downsize as well. So just start to reimagine what,
in a perfect world, what would.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
This look like.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
And I'm not sure we're having enough of those conversations
at the moment to make me as optimistic as I
think we could be by the end of the Trump
second term that we're going to see real reform.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
And so how do you see who I get let
me put a name to it. Whose responsibility is that
objectively is that President Trump to dictate and direct it
is that cash betail to say, Hey, here's my vision?
Is it? PAMBONDI? All three? Who do you put that?
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Trump?
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Trump? I mean, okay, because here's the thing, Ed, I'll
follow up with this and say, I don't think there's
anybody more. I know exactly what you're about to say,
and I agree with it. So I'm not arguing. I'm
just saying that if here's what I say to people
who are impatient, I say, there can't be anyone more
interested in reforming this corrupt institution that I believe nearly
(25:50):
got him killed than Donald Trump. If he's not motivated,
then who the hell's going to be motivated? Ned has
always been what I've said, So having said that, please
take it away.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Yeah, yeah, no, I think what what it is is
it being a again. I can I can't even imagine
everything that he's dealing with every day on a whole
host of fronts, and you know, had the privilege of
sitting in there with him as he's dealing with all
kinds of information flows. Highly impressive for a seventy nine
year old. I'm just going to say that, and I'm
not going to say with what was being discussed anything else,
(26:18):
but just like, that's incredibly impressive what he's doing. Yeah,
so there's a lot of things going on. It has
to be something or it has to be a constant
priority for him. I do know that he has strongly
encouraged cabinet secretaries in regards to overall cuts, which is
a step in the right direction. I think it'd be
more meaningful than some of the other things that have
(26:40):
been proposed in which you just make straight cuts across
the board in every department and agency. So he's had
these conversations. I think what's necessary. You know, I'm a
huge fan of Russ votes over at own b Russ
and I are very much simpatico in regards to the
administrative state, slashing bureaucracy. I think he's going to have
to figure out how someone or you know, some people
(27:00):
are brought in that kind of dogeesque but very much
under the radar that twenty four to seven, they're waking
up thinking, how am I going to cut government?
Speaker 4 (27:10):
What reforms can we do?
Speaker 1 (27:11):
How are we going to go and audit every department
and agency and say this office can be shut down,
this many people can be fired.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
Et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
So it becomes a constant drum beat underneath the radar
that's constantly keeping it on his plate, where we say, okay,
we've done this this month, you do this this month, this,
and so it becomes something that I think is a
bit more systematic, but it has to be some He
has to find a group of people, special government employees,
that this is their priority.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
That hasn't happened yet.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Ned Ryan's book again on this better than anybody knows.
The American Leviathan, the birth of the administrative state and
progressive authoritarianism. Congress, of course always frustrates people. They never
move fast enough, Ned, And we know that here we are,
we're approaching a midterm. The conventional wisdom is, of course
the party in power gets blown out, and you know,
(28:02):
it's just sort of an assumption, sort of a fata complete.
The Republicans are absolutely certain to lose, because that's just
historically the way it goes. I read that Elon a
couple of weeks ago has decided he's going to throw
some money into some house races. After all, that's impressive
given the way things seem to have ended. Like he
seemed like he was kind of like, to hell with
this place. It's unfixable. But now maybe he's back. So
(28:24):
will the money dynamic come into play. Do the Republicans,
to your point, have something to sell economically? Hopefully? Can
something change to stave off this kind of fatalist idea
that there's just no chance for Republicans in the House.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
I think so.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
I mean, I know, I'll just say what I discussed
with Trump recently was you're not going to win the
midterms running against socialism or on foreign policy. And I
love what he's doing on the foreign policy front. I
really do like the resurrection of the Monroe doctor in
the Western hemisphere.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Love it.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
You're going to win it on affordability and healthcare. Are you
making people's lives more affordable? Have you solved the healthcare issue?
So that to me is one of those things that
I think you're really starting to see again again in
the last couple of weeks. We're more and more JD.
Vance Best and even Trump are starting to address this
issue and at least acknowledge we realize it's an issue.
(29:14):
Biden caused this. I mean, you can look at the numbers,
Chris and see this massive spike in costs, and when
Trump won it did this right. It stopped, but we're
still a peer, and so I think the challenge is,
how do you bring it back down. The underlying fundamentals
are fantastic in regards to obviously energy, in regards to
some of these other things, inflation being stable. So I
(29:35):
think I think you're going to see some wins on
that front that I think people will feel now back
to kind of the nuts and bolts of winning politics,
winning political races.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Elon's coming back in.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
I think you're going to see some other donors making
significant investments in the right places. Trump has said I
will be out there campaigning heavily with rallies. I'd like
to see him put maybe about three hundred million minimum
from maggot Ink into these key house races.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
It's about the House, like the Senate.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
I like the map a lot, Chris, if we're talking
about losing the Senate, we've already lost the House. I
don't see us having that conversation. But the House, to
me is obviously massively important. If Trump loses that, he'll
be in peace. There'll be all kinds of investigations, everything
goes sidew So I think You're seeing a lot of
people start to go, we can do this, we can win.
(30:23):
I think obviously, if the economy's going really well, it's
going to be a huge, you know, wind in our back,
and then people investing in the right place is doing
the right thing. I've got huge plans in regards to
house districts, voter edge, abgen ab Chase, Edie Push.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
So I'm again I'm.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Probably more bullish than people other people are, but I've
looked at some of these numbers and gone, we're going
to come ahead on the redistricting again. Louisiana versus Klay
is a little bit of a wild card. I think
it's going to go in our favor. The question is
is it beginning of January or is it later. If
it's later, it's not going to be nearly as beneficial
to us. Hopefully it's in January. So the fundamentals and
all those things are going to be in our favor,
I think on that front, and then it's just matter
(31:00):
of are we going to focus on the right numbers
in the right places.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Is it money or is it how people are feeling?
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Both? How do you like that answer? It's both?
Speaker 1 (31:09):
Yeah, No, No, I'll tell you this in Virginia, where
I'm at the recent gubernatory election, which was a total
disaster here in the state. Not a great candidate with
wins sears. There were a couple of things she was
going to lose. I mean that that's a whole other conversation.
She didn't even address the economy. Chris, I couldn't even
(31:31):
tell you what her economic message was.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Guess what Half the voters in Virginia said.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
The economy is are number one issue. Guess who talked
about it? Is all lies, But she talked about it,
and she addressed it was Abigail Spamberger. Half the voters
in Virginia. You know how much she won that demographic
by Spamberger did twenty seven points. So some of it
is at least addressing the issue and acknowledging there is
real financial pain still. But also I think the underlying
(31:57):
fundamentals again the narrative the economy is going is better.
People have to feel it, and I do think they'll
be feeling it probably late summer, early fall.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
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my pillow dot com. It's funny President Trump, you can
say the frustration because he's he's looking at eighty points
like right, no, and it's not only it's not his fault,
but he sees where there is real improvement. I think
Besson's brilliant, and I think Besson and he they see
(33:11):
coming down the pike what's happening. They see what's happening
to people's portfolios. And yet all they keep hearing about
in the press is I can't afford this. I can't
afford that. Nobody can afford a house, and I can
I sense why they're frustrated. They're not insensitive to it,
but I sense why there's frustrated.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Trust me, there was a little bit of frustration when
we were talking about this. But it is kind of
a weird dynamic in which, like just personally four oh
one K is doing great.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
On the other hand, my wife.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
My wife comes home and goes, I cannot believe how
much groceries are costing us right.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Now, exactly exactly, I don't believe.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
I don't believe you.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
And then I look at their season go, oh my gosh,
are you like this is insane?
Speaker 4 (33:50):
So I do see the underlying fundamentals.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
I think the first two quarters of next of twenty
twenty six are going to be really, really strong, and
I know that what Bessett and Trump and others are
looking at. I just think you got to tweak the
narrative a little bit, the messaging, and I think it's
going to all come together.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
I hope in the summer of twenty six.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
It is so fascinating. I mean, you're a specialist in messaging.
I don't know that we've ever been at a time
like this where people's four oh one k's are at fifteen, eighteen,
twenty percent, right, and then they're looking at a six
dollars package of hot dogs at the same time, and
it's like, you're exactly right. It's part of it, yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
Well part of it.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
I mean you can go back and look, there's there's
obviously more of this than just this simply. But when
the Biden administration goes after and starts crushing our domestic
energy production, driving up the cost of energy, that has
this ripple effect across the economy in which people are
paying more for gas, it's more to transport your groceries
and products, so they're going to pay more for groceries,
they're going to pay more for products. This is why
(34:50):
I keep hammering the drum. With Trump, it's awesome that
you've done a million barrels of oil more a day
since coming into office.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
Can we get to two? Can we get to three million?
Speaker 1 (35:02):
At that point, you then start to see that ripple
effect going through the economy again, in which energy has
been driven down. Gas is cheaper, foods cheaper, products are cheaper.
People start to feel it, and so there are a
lot of terrible decisions, obviously massive government spending, spiking inflation.
With Biden, you've got the energy decisions that were terrible
and quite frankly childish and removed from reality.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
So you've seen some of those things change. It's just
going to.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Take a little bit longer. I think for people to
feel it, they have to feel it. Chris, This to
me is one of those things where I'm like, we
can talk about it, we can have better message on it,
they have to feel it. When they start to feel it,
I really like our chances. But I'm also going to
remind people of someone who's deeply socially conservative in times
like this. It's the economy stupid, to quote James Carville,
(35:49):
and so I think that has to be front center
for the next however, many months until the midterms. Just hammer,
hammer hammer policy, cutting regulations, increasing domestic production, all these things.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
Again, I'm optimistic.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Meanwhile, what we know is Democrats will try anything, Vanity
fair pieces with Susie Wiles, Jeffrey Epstein, East Wing renovations, anything,
every day. It's just something new they would rather distract with.
Republicans ought not go down that rabbit hole with them.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
True, every day Americans are not really watching the smoke
and period.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
That signifies nothing.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Really at the end of the day, they're looking at
how is my life better or worse? Can I pay
my bills? Can I pay for my groceries? All of
these things. Of course the corporate propagandists are going to
be doing that to try and help their buddies in
the Democratic Party and the administrative states.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
So kind of comes with the territory.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
But I think most every day Americans it's white noise.
They're not really paying attention to it. In fact, a
lot of people Chris don't pay attention to elections and
all these things. They're really the last four or five
sixty seven weeks. So whatever we're experiencing now, we're like
four or five political lifetimes away from the mid terms
and people making decisions on that.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
And here's what I also hear. I would love your
thoughts on this. As we wrap, I heard the rn
C chair, the new rn C chair, came on the
show and said this, and I was kind of surprised
he said it. I know Trump has said it, get
rid of the philibuster. You want to juice progress and
you want to have something to sell, get rid of
the philibuster in the Senate, and let's just start rubber
stamping agenda items lickety split. There's obviously retisdents to do
(37:26):
that in the Senate. John Thune doesn't want to do it.
So where are you on that?
Speaker 1 (37:31):
I'm a political realist. Democrats would have already done this
if it weren't for Joe Manchin and Kirsten Cinema. If
you go back to that time, those are the two
that stop Democrats from removing the filibuster. If Democrats came
back into the majority of the Senate, this I guess
i'd I'd answer your question with a question, if Democrats
came back into power in the Senate, what do you
(37:52):
think they would do?
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Chris in a hot second, get rid of it.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
In a hot second. So for us to not do that,
and again John Thune is the hold up. Also the
Blue Slips with Chuck Grassley another sticking point that I think,
you know what, we're in a different age, We're at
a different time. To not acknowledge that is not to
know what time it is.
Speaker 4 (38:10):
I think he removed the filibuster. I think he removed
the Blue slips.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
And you say this is the political route reality of
now with Democrats have power, would they do it?
Speaker 4 (38:18):
Of course they would. We should do it before they do.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
And it will actually extend our political power because it
gives us the ability to have so many wins that
will impact the lives of the American people. We could
be in power for a very long time if we
actually have the guts to do it.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
If and then you would have in fact, as you say,
all of those agenda items. Yeah, like you could. If Trump,
you know, is just signing right and left as fast
as he can, then all of a sudden, you're really
talking about something to pitch and sell come next fall.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I am determined that how do I say, I'm going
to say this in such a way. I don't know
if I'll come off right. I'm obsessed with political power.
How do you actually achieve and maintain political in the
hands of the right people for as long as possible
to actually bring about some of the things that are
fundamental to the success of this country, the restoration of
the republic. These are some of the things in which
(39:09):
we can actually do on the filibuster and the blue
slips and some alls of other things.
Speaker 4 (39:14):
And then we don't.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
And then another point that I'll make and not go
too far down the rabbit, try if we hold power
for the twenty thirty census and have the citizenship question
and remove the differential privacy algorithm, all these things build
to another. We could send a left into the political
wilderness for a generation or two and our country would
be so much better for it. So we should think
about how are we going to achieve that on the
policy front and on the political front. And anybody that
(39:36):
is not doing that and wants to be sensational, going
back to our first topic, I have questions about their motivations.
And they really in it for the betterment of the country.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Oh that's so smart. And so there are still though
there's that annoying, recalcitrant bit of Republicans. And we saw
them in Indiana. I know, what do we do there
with the guys in Indiana who say we're not going
to redistrict to give Indiana two new Republicans.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
I have found in politics, Chris, if you take a
few scalps and nail them over the door, next time,
people behave a little bit differently. And I already know
Trump and his team are going to go after some
of those state senators in Indiana.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
I think they should.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
I think the big question is so Cam Savage is
a consultant that obviously was driving this. He's also a
consultant to Todd Young, the other senator from Indiana. I
love Jim Banks. I do not like Todd Young. So
I guess my bigger questions. I already know they're going
to primary some of those state senators. I think Todd
Young should be asking himself, am I going to get
primaried in the spring of twenty eight because I think
(40:36):
he was part and parcel to this.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
So I think you have to make examples.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
I think it's a shame that there are some Republicans
who still don't understand what they are confronting in regards
to the un American left, and we should be doing
everything that we can when it's in our power to
actually gain more political power. They do it to us,
we should do it to them. And a shame that
the Indiana State Senators did not do that, and I
(41:00):
think they're going to bear the consequences for and I'm
very happy for it.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
As Rumsfeld once said, you go to war with the
army you have, not the one you wish you had.
Do you like this army? Do you like this RNC chair,
this President, his cabinet, the leadership in Congress.
Speaker 4 (41:16):
Well, that's a whole series of look good questions.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
I'm just gonna be honest, because there's a lot of
different thingles that listen. I think this is the most
talented cabinet that Republicans have had in a very long time.
Scott Bessing, to me, was one of those sleeper picks
that I wasn't sure about at the beginning.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
I think he is one of the if not the
rock star of the cabinet. Couldn't be happier, especially.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
As we're talking about affordability, cost of living that he
is the Secretary of the Treasury. So I think this
is extremely talented cabinet. I think despite maybe a couple
of missteps and talking to Commy Rags, a very talented
team inside the West Wing. Susie is part and parcel
to his success in twenty four. She is part and
(41:57):
parcel to the success of the first year of this term.
Usually a highly disciplined team. So a bit of a
mystery on some of those fronts.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
House leadership. I'm not the huge I'm not a huge.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
Fan of Mike Johnson. I'm also realistic. He has three
seats right now, so for them to have as much
success as they have had, obviously working very closely with
Trump and JD to get those votes whipped, I'm realistic.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Is that Could I just interrupt on Mike Johnson keep
your train of thought, but on Mike Johnson specifically, is
there something about that position? I would not look at
him and call him a moderate, But all of a
sudden they become House leadership, and there's something that happens,
and I don't know if it's just a function of
the office and we don't understand it, or are the
new gingriches of the world gone, or I mean, what
(42:43):
do we make of Mike Johnson as a guy.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Well, first of all, it's the worst job in DC.
I mean, you're literally it shouldn't be called Speaker of
the House. It should be chief cat hurder because you're
hurting cats and you have to there's this, you know,
all kinds of self interest with the various members of
the caucus. Do you actually get it to whether mostly
moving in the right direction? You could be the most
conservative person before you become speaker. How do you actually
(43:08):
figure out how to achieve what's possible? There is Again
my view of politics are of the possible, not the
art of perfection. So yeah, I mean, to be the
Speaker of the House becomes a very it's a very
hard job. So this is why I'm also a little
realistic about Mike Johnson narrow majority, awful job. How do
you actually get people moving in the right direction? Because
(43:28):
let's face it, America first is not the majority of
the majority, and so there's a lot of people that
are more moderate.
Speaker 4 (43:34):
How do you get them to move? So yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
Part of it is just it's the it's position that
may be conservative members as they come into the speakership,
there is a moderating factor that comes into play.
Speaker 4 (43:45):
And I think you have to meeting because you're seeing it.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
I mean it's not like you've got two thirds of
the House, right, I mean, you're you're dealing with a
narrow window, so you need to moderate to appeal to
people who are moderate unfortunately right.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
And if you don't, let's say, I mean, and I
tell people all the time, would you rather have seventy
percent or zero? And if you push you hard, you
get zero, and I'll take seventy or eighty. Given the
dynamics the Senate, John Thune is annoying me, especially in
regards to the filibuster blue slips and also the confirmation.
You don't need Democrats to confirm all these nominees. You
could have done that back in August with regular order.
(44:20):
You just didn't want to spend. I think it's two
to four hours of debate per nomine because that would
have been real work. So I'm a little irritated by
the Republicans in the Senate because I think they're lazy.
I don't think they really are that on board with
Trump in America first, and I think they're clinging to
an age that doesn't exist anymore.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Amen, amen Ned Ryan. This is about as fair and
realistic and honest an assessment as it gets, and a
nonsensational one too. Sincerely like starting the year with some
kogent I would say, thinking that it's genuinely interested in
bettering and furthering the mission and the country. That's what
you are, and that's why I'm so glad to start
(44:56):
the year with you.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
My friend. I appreciate it. Thank you, Chris.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
So that's a wrap for another Christiagall Show podcast. Thanks
for committing to it listening to it all the way through.
You're a fighter. I like that about you. Hope you'll
leave it a five star review and a written review.
Apple Podcasts, Spotify. We'll see you next time here on
The Christiagall Show Podcast. The christ de gall Show Podcast
Let's bring up Christ to Golf.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It is Chris to God Risk Gall.
Speaker 3 (00:03):
I'm joined now by Christigall, most of.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
The Christ of Goall Show, so let's brand talk radio
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Speaker 2 (00:08):
Also his podcast is a musk listen every day Christa
Gall Show podcast and host of the Christgall Show.
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Let's Bring in Christa Gall.
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Pay You welcome Chris Speak Gall to.
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Speaker 2 (00:29):
Hey, they're merry Christmas, and I guess I will say
a happy New Year. Welcome into the Christagall Show podcast.
I want to say thank you for another tremendous year
of support. Your downloads and your regularly scheduled attention to
this show means more than I can say. Our entire
family that puts the show together every day, they work
so hard to give you content, hopefully quality content you enjoy.
(00:50):
We didn't want to leave you without quality content during
the holidays. While we're taking some time away, we've put
together from some various shows, some special long form interviews.
There will be some repeat content of some shows and
segments that we really enjoyed. Maybe they're new to you
if you missed them before. But over the next few days,
while we're away taking some time with family, I hope
you're able to as well. But we never want to
(01:10):
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(02:57):
one or US medicalplan dot com. Well, Happy New Year,
and welcome in to this edition of The Stagall Show,
one of the great ways to kick off the brand
new year. A friend of the show, a guy I've
gotten to know well and one of the smartest conservative
thinkers that I know, because he's consistent, you know, in
a day and age where I'm just not entirely sure
who you can trust. They run hot, they run cold,
(03:18):
they start popping off about things that make no sense,
and you're like, who's that guy? I used to really
like him. That's not Ned, My buddy. Ned's an entirely
different guy. He's the founder and CEO of American Majority,
author of American Leviathan and first of all, Mary Christmas,
Happy New Year to you, Ned. Thank you so much
for making time for us today.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
My friend, absolutely, Chris, great to be with you.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
I hate to put you in this spot and I
don't even want to start with a negative, but I
do kind of have to you. And I have not
really talked a lot about this, and I don't want
to linger on it, but I do. I've been thinking
about it a lot, just in terms of how to
talk to the audience. I think most of our audiences,
yours and mine, your readers, this audience they're sophisticated. They
don't need us telling them what to think about anything.
(04:00):
I never presume to tell anybody what to think. But
there is a whole new industry of host, podcaster, streamer,
whatever you want to call them, who builds sort of this.
I don't know. I don't want to insult necessarily, but
it seems to be more about the host and the
drama surrounding the host than advancing the country or bettering
(04:22):
the situation or fixing a problem. Need That's my interpretation yours.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You make an interesting point, something that I've thought about,
in fact, have thought about doing maybe my own podcast,
just to show people you can actually have a rational
podcast about how DC works. It doesn't have to be sensational.
It can be meaningful, it can be interesting, and it
will advance the ball instead of trying to get clicks.
In some ways, I understand the hyper self interest chris
(04:50):
of some of these folks. Obviously, the more sensational, the
more clicks, the more views, the more money. At the
same time, I'm not always sure that it's the most
beneficial for the movement and for us advancing the CA
and actually having real rational conversations about how we're going
to win because at the end of the day, everything
that I try to do, whether it's American Majority, whether
it's my thought pieces, whether it's my TV commentary, my books,
(05:11):
you name it, the whole point is to actually win.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
It's not to.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Be famous, it's not to somehow enrich myself. It's how
do you actually win so that when your day is done,
which all of our days will be done at some point,
you've actually left this place in a much better state
than when you found it. And my hope, my sincere
hope with everything that I do, is that people will
(05:38):
look back and say, you know, NED did something very
meaningful that led I hope, I pray to the restoration
of the republic and true representative government.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
And we're nowhere near that right now.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
So you know, I hope that more and more people
will catch that vision and push towards that, because I
think we could actually see some really interesting things over
the next few years if we could actually point in
the right direction.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
This isn't about any given individual.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
It's about how can we make this country what it
should be and restore what we were given.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
It is the Again, I don't want to linger on
this as a negative, but I do think it's important.
I love what that's beautifully said. Is the business model
in the new media eco system. Is that the problem?
See now, i still work for the Salem Media Group,
and I'm proud to do so. And as such, I've
said a thousand times, you know who sponsors this show.
(06:31):
I'm transparent. The show doesn't happen unless I have sponsors
and commercials irritate people. I get it. But you know
exactly who backs this show because you hear me talk
about them. I worry that in this new world of
as you say, everybody trying to get clicks and be sensational,
and that downloads who the hell's funding all of these people?
(06:53):
And I think that matters.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Ned So you bring up an interesting point of something
I've experienced a few months ago. So, first of all, Chris,
incentive structures lead to certain behavior, right, and you can
see that in politics. I've been involved in politics for
a very long time, especially when it comes down to
the consulting class, and how there are incentive structures that
lead to certain behaviors that lead to certain outcomes. Now
(07:17):
in regards to full transparency in regards to who's funding people.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Oh, I would love that one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I mean, I got into a situation back in late
summer early fall regarding someone who I thought was very
key at the FDA. Then I prosad and I know
that there were people attacking him, like Laura Lumer, who
were being paid for it. They were not honest about it,
they were not transparent about it, and it became one
of those things wrong. I was up against pharmaceutical money
(07:46):
and I was doing it because I was not actually
being paid.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Chris, I knew this is the right thing. I've been
in DC twenty five years.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
I have seen this play out again and again, where
interests fund people to take out someone they view as
a threat to their financial heads interests. And I'm kind
of giving the cliff notes of what took place in August,
but my biggest frustration is that we couldn't have honesty
about who was funding the attacks un benignh what they
were being paid, and what their ultimate goal was. And
(08:14):
to me, I think, you know, we can talk about this.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
I hope we would.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Actually be able to reach some sort of state in
the future where we can have this.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
I'm not holding my breath.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yeah, that leads me to the audience for it. We
can't ignore and deny that there is a healthy audience
for what some of these folks are selling and peddling
and talking about. And it breaks my heart because I
think again, I think it's self interest and a lot
of misdirected anger and confusion and not solutions to anything.
(08:45):
But there's an audience for it because of what I
call revelation addiction, particularly among young men in this country
who don't feel they are being represented or heard, and
they feel browbeaten and oppressed for one of a better term.
They've been told they're no good because the white or
they're straight, or they're Christian, or their men or what
have you. And so there's a white hot audience for
(09:07):
this kind of those people are keeping you down. Let's
go get the bastards, and that's kind of keeping them
in this perpetual state of rage feeding rather than fixing anything.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
No, this is a backlash over from the last ten, fifteen,
twenty years in which especially young white males have been told,
first of all, your toxic. You shouldn't trying to beat
out of them literally in many ways, beat out of
them who they inherently are as young men, the masculinity,
(09:42):
and then not only being told there's something wrong with you,
but because you are a white male, we're going to
shut you out of certain opportunities.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Moving forward, what do you think is going to happen?
Speaker 1 (09:55):
At some point there's going to be deep resentment and
anger and a backlas against that behavior. I think this
is one of the reasons, I would argue one of
the main reasons you saw a shift towards Trump among
certain demographics. It wasn't because of certain organizations. You see
seismic shifts like that, because of this massive cultural backlash
(10:16):
how they've been treated. And you know, I'll share anecdotally.
We live in western Laden County, Virginia, not exactly a
very conservative place anymore, if I'm being honest, we are
truly the suburbs of the sewer.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I don't want to call it the swamp anymore.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
It's the sewer in which you have a lot of
people that are dependent upon the government. They are not conservative.
They are beholden to government large esse largness.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
You have seen.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
I have seen a dynamic among the younger generations that
play football with my son in which I know their
parents are not conservative. I know that they're probably Democrats,
and yet the young men on the football team.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Are wearing America Make America Great hats.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
They are huge fans of Trump, and it's like rebel
with a cause, and the rebel with the cause is Trump,
because somebody actually might stand up for them and give
them a chance at being able to experience all that
they should be able to experience in the future. So
I think that we're not even close to seeing the
full extent of this backlash. The thing that concerns me
(11:22):
is that there are Charlatans that have slipped in that
are rage monkeys who are trying to stoke that rage
again for self interest, but it's not a meaningful conversation.
In fact, I think they're making the situation worse. I'm
referring to Nick Fuintes, and I think there's got to
be a conversation in which other voices are elevated that
can actually have meaningful conversations with this younger generation of
(11:45):
men and go, here's how we think we're going to
be successful to give you all the opportunities that I
truly believe in many ways they're entitled to in the future.
But again, there's a great sorting out that has to
take place.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I mean, ned I again, I don't. I'm trying to
avoid names only because I don't want to stir it up.
But I will say I was kind of shocked a
couple of weeks ago to see, of all people, Alex
Jones saying, hey, everybody, let's settle down and stop attacking
and making our focus exclusively Israel, because we're missing the
point and the forest for the trees by not addressing
(12:19):
radical Islam that wants to kill us all. And I thought,
holy crap, Alex Jones is now the new center right?
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Do we actually think the greatest issue of our days
is somehow how we feel about Israel? This to me
is very frustrating because we're injuring. We're in a midterm
year that I think is as critical as twenty twenty
four was for the future of this country, the future
of the restoration of the Republic.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Twenty twenty six is.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
The next step that you cannot actually validate or fulfill
the promise of the twenty twenty four elections unless you
win in twenty twenty six, and there's no givens Chris.
I mean, I think we're in for a battle I
think the economy people will be able to I think,
I hope, I pray, start to be able to feel
the economy turning in their favor by the summer. I
(13:09):
think you can see it in the gas prices. I
think you're going to start to see it in some
of the grocery prices. First probably second quarter. They have
to be able to feel it. And at the same time,
I think there's going to be some things. You know again,
I think we're going to win the redistricting wars. I
think Louisiana versus KLA. Hopefully the Supreme Courts can decide
that January is going to go in our favor, might
give us another suc seeds. But if we don't win
(13:31):
in November of this year, I think we've got serious
problems in what this actually looks like. So let's not
be distracted by these little I consider issues that are
not anywhere near important enough for us to waste time on.
When our priority should be what does the future of
the country look like. We have to have political power
(13:52):
in the hands of the right people for as long
as possible. The greatest threats to this country are not
some of these things that are offshore even though again
I think we've got serious issues with China and everything else.
I think some of the most serious threats to our
freedom into our way of life are on our shores.
I think the bureaucratic state, I think the massive invasion
that took place under the Biden administration, all of these
(14:13):
of illegal immigrants. So I think there's a whole host
of things that need to be dealt with that should
be the focus. That ain't one of them.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
American Leviathan is ned Ryan's best selling book, The Birth
of the Administrative State and Progressive Authoritarianism. Ned the president's
first year. We've now been through almost a calendar year
of President Trump. I also maintain that this has bubbled up,
this thing we've been talking about because it's not particularly
sexy right now. There's not a lot of conflict. President
(14:42):
Trump is in my view for the most part. Yes,
we can pick around the edges, certainly, but for the
most part, he's steamrolling ahead, and he's doing it. Maybe
a solo, one man wrecking ball, but he's doing it.
And I think it leaves a lot of people in
the commentariat who were pro Trump sort of without sexy
storyline and so out of boredom or to kind of
(15:03):
spice it up. They're going in another direction. You think
I'm right about that.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
It might be a little bit right.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
There's so much success, it's almost like they're tired of winning,
and it's not very exciting to talk about.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
But I think it is no no.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
I think when you start to understand what he has
accomplished in this first year with relatively obviously, I think
it's what three seats in the House, very narrow majority,
a little bit better in the Senate, but not like
we're dealing with a massive majority in the Senate either.
The wins that he has had, not only because of
what he has done through the article to Executive Branch,
(15:36):
but also the big beautiful bill.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
I just want to remind people that.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Was a massive, massive win, not only for Trump but
for the country as well. Not only did it codify
twenty eight of his executive orders, made his tax cuts permanent,
cut one point four million illegals from medicaid, defunded the
Green New Deal. But I think one of the most
important wins that I think needs a lot more recognition,
and going back to illegal immigration, another funding for another
(16:03):
seven hundred and one miles of border wall, one hundred
and seventy five billion in total for border security, for ice,
all of these things that are massive structural changes, Chris.
So even if we don't hold political power in the future,
we hold it long enough to complete the wall and
get all these things in place, it's going to be
a lot harder for them to do what they did
under Biden's four years with basically through almost three hundred
(16:25):
executive orders lowering border security and then funneling billions upon
billions of our taxpayer dollars into these NGOs for immigrant resettlement.
I think you put in these structural changes, it's going
to make it harder for them to do that in
the future, you know. And then I look at all
the other things he's done on domestic energy production. Another
million barrels of oil a day. That leads to lower
(16:46):
gas prices, which leads to lower transportation causes, which leads
to lower grocery prices.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
Leads to lower product prices.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So I look at all of these wins that have
taken place in the first year. Like I said, there's
no guarantees we're winning in the mid but I'm more
bullish than I think some other people are.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
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(17:47):
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onto US Medical Plan dot com. We wrapped up the
year with the discovery that, in fact, what we probably
all could have concluded without the discovery, the FBI cash
Betel turning over documents to the Senate, saying the FBI
(20:45):
under Joe Biden, the Chris Ray FBI told Merrick Garland's DJ,
you don't have the goods to raid mar A Lago,
and Merrick Garland and DJ pushed to raid mar a lago. Anyway,
I think that is the most fundamentally chilling moment, save
(21:07):
Donald Trump nearly being killed, in modern American and political history.
That moment that raid of that home happened was the
moment that I decided we've lost to the country if
that's not corrected. So Trump is one that's half of it. Now,
what do we do about it.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
You've got to have fundamental reforming. You have to reform
these institutions. I would argue, you know, the FBI. It's
one thing to have these institutions and various departments and.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Agencies under our control.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
At the moment, we shouldn't be just passing time by
being in control. This is a moment to actually fundamentally
reform the FBI and other parts of this government. Again,
it's no state secret how I feel that the administrative
state must be deconstructed, it must be devolved, it must
be shattered into a million pieces. We have political power
for a reason, Chris, and it's not just again to
(21:59):
pass time and go, oh, that just a great time
that we had power for those four years. Hopefully it's
longer than that. But we should actually look at it
like progressives look at it. We were given political power
for a reason is not to pass time. It's not
to trim around the edges. It's to actually fundamentally reform
and reimagine what this government looks like. And so the
(22:19):
thing that's a little concerning, Although I see great signs,
what two hundred and seventy one thousand federal employees have
been removed from government under the first year of Trump
another whim that should be get some more recognition and
be highlighted.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
But that to me is about a third of what
should be removed. I call it the eight hundred thousand figures.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
To me, the mark where if you have that many
people removed in the four years of Trump, you're actually
making real progress on deconstructing and devolving the power of
the administrative state. But if the FBI by the time
we're done with this Trump administration the second term is
still in its current shape, form and size, we will
have failed the American people.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Yes, and Cash Patel, you know talk as you and
I are speaking today, I don't know what to believe exactly.
I have a professional acquaintance with Dan Bongino. I'm not
close by any means, and I certainly don't know, but
some say he's already packticed things and he intends to leave.
There have been reports of friction there. You know, Miranda
Devine has done reporting that there's dissension in the ranks
(23:20):
and the cash is in over his head. And obviously
there's been long criticism of Pam Bondi. The president has
stuck with these people. Though yes, I don't know how
to read that. I still don't, and I understand people
feeling impatient. I also understand what building a case and
the law requires. So I'm trying to be discerning here.
How does Ned Ryan see these these players in particular
(23:42):
in reform.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Maybe maybe the beginnings of some frustration, if I'm being
completely honest, but at the same time, a realistic approach
these institutions, whether it's dj FBI, you name it, literally
every department agency in my mind here in the DC
area that's part of the administrative state. This didn't happen overnight.
(24:05):
I mean, if you want to go back, I'm not
going to bore people.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
With the history of it.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
This started over one hundred and ten years ago. I
would argue the corruption that we really see, the deep
rooted corruption accelerated under Obama, say the last decade.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Right, you don't go.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
In in the first year and are able to reform
something that took years and years to get to that point.
So there's kind of the point where I'm like, Okay,
we need to accelerate on some of these fronts. At
the same time, you know, Rome wasn't built in a
day kind of mentality. But I definitely am not going
to stop beating the drama on there should be reformed,
We should restructure these institutions, we should downsize them. I
(24:43):
think the FBI needs to be its power needs to
be devolved.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
It should be just white collar crime.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
I think any counter terrorism stuff should be in another department,
maybe DHS, although that's another one that I'd like to
see downsize as well. So just start to reimagine what,
in a perfect world, what would.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
This look like.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
And I'm not sure we're having enough of those conversations
at the moment to make me as optimistic as I
think we could be by the end of the Trump
second term that we're going to see real reform.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
And so how do you see who I get let
me put a name to it. Whose responsibility is that
objectively is that President Trump to dictate and direct it
is that cash betail to say, Hey, here's my vision?
Is it? PAMBONDI? All three? Who do you put that?
Speaker 4 (25:29):
Trump?
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Trump? I mean, okay, because here's the thing, Ed, I'll
follow up with this and say, I don't think there's
anybody more. I know exactly what you're about to say,
and I agree with it. So I'm not arguing. I'm
just saying that if here's what I say to people
who are impatient, I say, there can't be anyone more
interested in reforming this corrupt institution that I believe nearly
(25:50):
got him killed than Donald Trump. If he's not motivated,
then who the hell's going to be motivated? Ned has
always been what I've said, So having said that, please
take it away.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Yeah, yeah, no, I think what what it is is
it being a again. I can I can't even imagine
everything that he's dealing with every day on a whole
host of fronts, and you know, had the privilege of
sitting in there with him as he's dealing with all
kinds of information flows. Highly impressive for a seventy nine
year old. I'm just going to say that, and I'm
not going to say with what was being discussed anything else,
(26:18):
but just like, that's incredibly impressive what he's doing. Yeah,
so there's a lot of things going on. It has
to be something or it has to be a constant
priority for him. I do know that he has strongly
encouraged cabinet secretaries in regards to overall cuts, which is
a step in the right direction. I think it'd be
more meaningful than some of the other things that have
(26:40):
been proposed in which you just make straight cuts across
the board in every department and agency. So he's had
these conversations. I think what's necessary. You know, I'm a
huge fan of Russ votes over at own b Russ
and I are very much simpatico in regards to the
administrative state, slashing bureaucracy. I think he's going to have
to figure out how someone or you know, some people
(27:00):
are brought in that kind of dogeesque but very much
under the radar that twenty four to seven, they're waking
up thinking, how am I going to cut government?
Speaker 4 (27:10):
What reforms can we do?
Speaker 1 (27:11):
How are we going to go and audit every department
and agency and say this office can be shut down,
this many people can be fired.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
Et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
So it becomes a constant drum beat underneath the radar
that's constantly keeping it on his plate, where we say, okay,
we've done this this month, you do this this month, this,
and so it becomes something that I think is a
bit more systematic, but it has to be some He
has to find a group of people, special government employees,
that this is their priority.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
That hasn't happened yet.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Ned Ryan's book again on this better than anybody knows.
The American Leviathan, the birth of the administrative state and
progressive authoritarianism. Congress, of course always frustrates people. They never
move fast enough, Ned, And we know that here we are,
we're approaching a midterm. The conventional wisdom is, of course
the party in power gets blown out, and you know,
(28:02):
it's just sort of an assumption, sort of a fata complete.
The Republicans are absolutely certain to lose, because that's just
historically the way it goes. I read that Elon a
couple of weeks ago has decided he's going to throw
some money into some house races. After all, that's impressive
given the way things seem to have ended. Like he
seemed like he was kind of like, to hell with
this place. It's unfixable. But now maybe he's back. So
(28:24):
will the money dynamic come into play. Do the Republicans,
to your point, have something to sell economically? Hopefully? Can
something change to stave off this kind of fatalist idea
that there's just no chance for Republicans in the House.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
I think so.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
I mean, I know, I'll just say what I discussed
with Trump recently was you're not going to win the
midterms running against socialism or on foreign policy. And I
love what he's doing on the foreign policy front. I
really do like the resurrection of the Monroe doctor in
the Western hemisphere.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Love it.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
You're going to win it on affordability and healthcare. Are you
making people's lives more affordable? Have you solved the healthcare issue?
So that to me is one of those things that
I think you're really starting to see again again in
the last couple of weeks. We're more and more JD.
Vance Best and even Trump are starting to address this
issue and at least acknowledge we realize it's an issue.
(29:14):
Biden caused this. I mean, you can look at the numbers,
Chris and see this massive spike in costs, and when
Trump won it did this right. It stopped, but we're
still a peer, and so I think the challenge is,
how do you bring it back down. The underlying fundamentals
are fantastic in regards to obviously energy, in regards to
some of these other things, inflation being stable. So I
(29:35):
think I think you're going to see some wins on
that front that I think people will feel now back
to kind of the nuts and bolts of winning politics,
winning political races.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Elon's coming back in.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
I think you're going to see some other donors making
significant investments in the right places. Trump has said I
will be out there campaigning heavily with rallies. I'd like
to see him put maybe about three hundred million minimum
from maggot Ink into these key house races.
Speaker 4 (30:00):
It's about the House, like the Senate.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
I like the map a lot, Chris, if we're talking
about losing the Senate, we've already lost the House. I
don't see us having that conversation. But the House, to
me is obviously massively important. If Trump loses that, he'll
be in peace. There'll be all kinds of investigations, everything
goes sidew So I think You're seeing a lot of
people start to go, we can do this, we can win.
(30:23):
I think obviously, if the economy's going really well, it's
going to be a huge, you know, wind in our back,
and then people investing in the right place is doing
the right thing. I've got huge plans in regards to
house districts, voter edge, abgen ab Chase, Edie Push.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
So I'm again I'm.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Probably more bullish than people other people are, but I've
looked at some of these numbers and gone, we're going
to come ahead on the redistricting again. Louisiana versus Klay
is a little bit of a wild card. I think
it's going to go in our favor. The question is
is it beginning of January or is it later. If
it's later, it's not going to be nearly as beneficial
to us. Hopefully it's in January. So the fundamentals and
all those things are going to be in our favor,
I think on that front, and then it's just matter
(31:00):
of are we going to focus on the right numbers
in the right places.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Is it money or is it how people are feeling?
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Both? How do you like that answer? It's both?
Speaker 1 (31:09):
Yeah, No, No, I'll tell you this in Virginia, where
I'm at the recent gubernatory election, which was a total
disaster here in the state. Not a great candidate with
wins sears. There were a couple of things she was
going to lose. I mean that that's a whole other conversation.
She didn't even address the economy. Chris, I couldn't even
(31:31):
tell you what her economic message was.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Guess what Half the voters in Virginia said.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
The economy is are number one issue. Guess who talked
about it? Is all lies, But she talked about it,
and she addressed it was Abigail Spamberger. Half the voters
in Virginia. You know how much she won that demographic
by Spamberger did twenty seven points. So some of it
is at least addressing the issue and acknowledging there is
real financial pain still. But also I think the underlying
(31:57):
fundamentals again the narrative the economy is going is better.
People have to feel it, and I do think they'll
be feeling it probably late summer, early fall.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
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my pillow dot com. It's funny President Trump, you can
say the frustration because he's he's looking at eighty points
like right, no, and it's not only it's not his fault,
but he sees where there is real improvement. I think
Besson's brilliant, and I think Besson and he they see
(33:11):
coming down the pike what's happening. They see what's happening
to people's portfolios. And yet all they keep hearing about
in the press is I can't afford this. I can't
afford that. Nobody can afford a house, and I can
I sense why they're frustrated. They're not insensitive to it,
but I sense why there's frustrated.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Trust me, there was a little bit of frustration when
we were talking about this. But it is kind of
a weird dynamic in which, like just personally four oh
one K is doing great.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
On the other hand, my wife.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
My wife comes home and goes, I cannot believe how
much groceries are costing us right.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Now, exactly exactly, I don't believe.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
I don't believe you.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
And then I look at their season go, oh my gosh,
are you like this is insane?
Speaker 4 (33:50):
So I do see the underlying fundamentals.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
I think the first two quarters of next of twenty
twenty six are going to be really, really strong, and
I know that what Bessett and Trump and others are
looking at. I just think you got to tweak the
narrative a little bit, the messaging, and I think it's
going to all come together.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
I hope in the summer of twenty six.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
It is so fascinating. I mean, you're a specialist in messaging.
I don't know that we've ever been at a time
like this where people's four oh one k's are at fifteen, eighteen,
twenty percent, right, and then they're looking at a six
dollars package of hot dogs at the same time, and
it's like, you're exactly right. It's part of it, yeah.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
Well part of it.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
I mean you can go back and look, there's there's
obviously more of this than just this simply. But when
the Biden administration goes after and starts crushing our domestic
energy production, driving up the cost of energy, that has
this ripple effect across the economy in which people are
paying more for gas, it's more to transport your groceries
and products, so they're going to pay more for groceries,
they're going to pay more for products. This is why
(34:50):
I keep hammering the drum. With Trump, it's awesome that
you've done a million barrels of oil more a day
since coming into office.
Speaker 4 (34:58):
Can we get to two? Can we get to three million?
Speaker 1 (35:02):
At that point, you then start to see that ripple
effect going through the economy again, in which energy has
been driven down. Gas is cheaper, foods cheaper, products are cheaper.
People start to feel it, and so there are a
lot of terrible decisions, obviously massive government spending, spiking inflation.
With Biden, you've got the energy decisions that were terrible
and quite frankly childish and removed from reality.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
So you've seen some of those things change. It's just
going to.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Take a little bit longer. I think for people to
feel it, they have to feel it. Chris, This to
me is one of those things where I'm like, we
can talk about it, we can have better message on it,
they have to feel it. When they start to feel it,
I really like our chances. But I'm also going to
remind people of someone who's deeply socially conservative in times
like this. It's the economy stupid, to quote James Carville,
(35:49):
and so I think that has to be front center
for the next however, many months until the midterms. Just hammer,
hammer hammer policy, cutting regulations, increasing domestic production, all these things.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
Again, I'm optimistic.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Meanwhile, what we know is Democrats will try anything, Vanity
fair pieces with Susie Wiles, Jeffrey Epstein, East Wing renovations, anything,
every day. It's just something new they would rather distract with.
Republicans ought not go down that rabbit hole with them.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
True, every day Americans are not really watching the smoke
and period.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
That signifies nothing.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Really at the end of the day, they're looking at
how is my life better or worse? Can I pay
my bills? Can I pay for my groceries? All of
these things. Of course the corporate propagandists are going to
be doing that to try and help their buddies in
the Democratic Party and the administrative states.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
So kind of comes with the territory.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
But I think most every day Americans it's white noise.
They're not really paying attention to it. In fact, a
lot of people Chris don't pay attention to elections and
all these things. They're really the last four or five
sixty seven weeks. So whatever we're experiencing now, we're like
four or five political lifetimes away from the mid terms
and people making decisions on that.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
And here's what I also hear. I would love your
thoughts on this. As we wrap, I heard the rn
C chair, the new rn C chair, came on the
show and said this, and I was kind of surprised
he said it. I know Trump has said it, get
rid of the philibuster. You want to juice progress and
you want to have something to sell, get rid of
the philibuster in the Senate, and let's just start rubber
stamping agenda items lickety split. There's obviously retisdents to do
(37:26):
that in the Senate. John Thune doesn't want to do it.
So where are you on that?
Speaker 1 (37:31):
I'm a political realist. Democrats would have already done this
if it weren't for Joe Manchin and Kirsten Cinema. If
you go back to that time, those are the two
that stop Democrats from removing the filibuster. If Democrats came
back into the majority of the Senate, this I guess
i'd I'd answer your question with a question, if Democrats
came back into power in the Senate, what do you
(37:52):
think they would do?
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Chris in a hot second, get rid of it.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
In a hot second. So for us to not do that,
and again John Thune is the hold up. Also the
Blue Slips with Chuck Grassley another sticking point that I think,
you know what, we're in a different age, We're at
a different time. To not acknowledge that is not to
know what time it is.
Speaker 4 (38:10):
I think he removed the filibuster. I think he removed
the Blue slips.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
And you say this is the political route reality of
now with Democrats have power, would they do it?
Speaker 4 (38:18):
Of course they would. We should do it before they do.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
And it will actually extend our political power because it
gives us the ability to have so many wins that
will impact the lives of the American people. We could
be in power for a very long time if we
actually have the guts to do it.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
If and then you would have in fact, as you say,
all of those agenda items. Yeah, like you could. If Trump,
you know, is just signing right and left as fast
as he can, then all of a sudden, you're really
talking about something to pitch and sell come next fall.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
I am determined that how do I say, I'm going
to say this in such a way. I don't know
if I'll come off right. I'm obsessed with political power.
How do you actually achieve and maintain political in the
hands of the right people for as long as possible
to actually bring about some of the things that are
fundamental to the success of this country, the restoration of
the republic. These are some of the things in which
(39:09):
we can actually do on the filibuster and the blue
slips and some alls of other things.
Speaker 4 (39:14):
And then we don't.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
And then another point that I'll make and not go
too far down the rabbit, try if we hold power
for the twenty thirty census and have the citizenship question
and remove the differential privacy algorithm, all these things build
to another. We could send a left into the political
wilderness for a generation or two and our country would
be so much better for it. So we should think
about how are we going to achieve that on the
policy front and on the political front. And anybody that
(39:36):
is not doing that and wants to be sensational, going
back to our first topic, I have questions about their motivations.
And they really in it for the betterment of the country.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Oh that's so smart. And so there are still though
there's that annoying, recalcitrant bit of Republicans. And we saw
them in Indiana. I know, what do we do there
with the guys in Indiana who say we're not going
to redistrict to give Indiana two new Republicans.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
I have found in politics, Chris, if you take a
few scalps and nail them over the door, next time,
people behave a little bit differently. And I already know
Trump and his team are going to go after some
of those state senators in Indiana.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
I think they should.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
I think the big question is so Cam Savage is
a consultant that obviously was driving this. He's also a
consultant to Todd Young, the other senator from Indiana. I
love Jim Banks. I do not like Todd Young. So
I guess my bigger questions. I already know they're going
to primary some of those state senators. I think Todd
Young should be asking himself, am I going to get
primaried in the spring of twenty eight because I think
(40:36):
he was part and parcel to this.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
So I think you have to make examples.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
I think it's a shame that there are some Republicans
who still don't understand what they are confronting in regards
to the un American left, and we should be doing
everything that we can when it's in our power to
actually gain more political power. They do it to us,
we should do it to them. And a shame that
the Indiana State Senators did not do that, and I
(41:00):
think they're going to bear the consequences for and I'm
very happy for it.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
As Rumsfeld once said, you go to war with the
army you have, not the one you wish you had.
Do you like this army? Do you like this RNC chair,
this President, his cabinet, the leadership in Congress.
Speaker 4 (41:16):
Well, that's a whole series of look good questions.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
I'm just gonna be honest, because there's a lot of
different thingles that listen. I think this is the most
talented cabinet that Republicans have had in a very long time.
Scott Bessing, to me, was one of those sleeper picks
that I wasn't sure about at the beginning.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
I think he is one of the if not the
rock star of the cabinet. Couldn't be happier, especially.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
As we're talking about affordability, cost of living that he
is the Secretary of the Treasury. So I think this
is extremely talented cabinet. I think despite maybe a couple
of missteps and talking to Commy Rags, a very talented
team inside the West Wing. Susie is part and parcel
to his success in twenty four. She is part and
(41:57):
parcel to the success of the first year of this term.
Usually a highly disciplined team. So a bit of a
mystery on some of those fronts.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
House leadership. I'm not the huge I'm not a huge.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
Fan of Mike Johnson. I'm also realistic. He has three
seats right now, so for them to have as much
success as they have had, obviously working very closely with
Trump and JD to get those votes whipped, I'm realistic.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Is that Could I just interrupt on Mike Johnson keep
your train of thought, but on Mike Johnson specifically, is
there something about that position? I would not look at
him and call him a moderate, But all of a
sudden they become House leadership, and there's something that happens,
and I don't know if it's just a function of
the office and we don't understand it, or are the
new gingriches of the world gone, or I mean, what
(42:43):
do we make of Mike Johnson as a guy.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Well, first of all, it's the worst job in DC.
I mean, you're literally it shouldn't be called Speaker of
the House. It should be chief cat hurder because you're
hurting cats and you have to there's this, you know,
all kinds of self interest with the various members of
the caucus. Do you actually get it to whether mostly
moving in the right direction? You could be the most
conservative person before you become speaker. How do you actually
(43:08):
figure out how to achieve what's possible? There is Again
my view of politics are of the possible, not the
art of perfection. So yeah, I mean, to be the
Speaker of the House becomes a very it's a very
hard job. So this is why I'm also a little
realistic about Mike Johnson narrow majority, awful job. How do
you actually get people moving in the right direction? Because
(43:28):
let's face it, America first is not the majority of
the majority, and so there's a lot of people that
are more moderate.
Speaker 4 (43:34):
How do you get them to move? So yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
Part of it is just it's the it's position that
may be conservative members as they come into the speakership,
there is a moderating factor that comes into play.
Speaker 4 (43:45):
And I think you have to meeting because you're seeing it.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
I mean it's not like you've got two thirds of
the House, right, I mean, you're you're dealing with a
narrow window, so you need to moderate to appeal to
people who are moderate unfortunately right.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
And if you don't, let's say, I mean, and I
tell people all the time, would you rather have seventy
percent or zero? And if you push you hard, you
get zero, and I'll take seventy or eighty. Given the
dynamics the Senate, John Thune is annoying me, especially in
regards to the filibuster blue slips and also the confirmation.
You don't need Democrats to confirm all these nominees. You
could have done that back in August with regular order.
(44:20):
You just didn't want to spend. I think it's two
to four hours of debate per nomine because that would
have been real work. So I'm a little irritated by
the Republicans in the Senate because I think they're lazy.
I don't think they really are that on board with
Trump in America first, and I think they're clinging to
an age that doesn't exist anymore.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Amen, amen Ned Ryan. This is about as fair and
realistic and honest an assessment as it gets, and a
nonsensational one too. Sincerely like starting the year with some
kogent I would say, thinking that it's genuinely interested in
bettering and furthering the mission and the country. That's what
you are, and that's why I'm so glad to start
(44:56):
the year with you.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
My friend. I appreciate it. Thank you, Chris.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
So that's a wrap for another Christiagall Show podcast. Thanks
for committing to it listening to it all the way through.
You're a fighter. I like that about you. Hope you'll
leave it a five star review and a written review.
Apple Podcasts, Spotify. We'll see you next time here on
The Christiagall Show Podcast. The christ de gall Show Podcast
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