I think we all know the feeling after a big election.
You're glued to the news,
just trying to figure out what it all means.
Yeah. You know what I mean?
Oh yeah.
Like just information overload.
Definitely.
So that's what we're doing today.
We're taking a deep dive into a bunch of articles
from ElectoralVote.com.
Okay.
All published on December 12th, 2024.
Yeah.
And these articles kind of give us a look
into this post-delection America.
Right.
All the drama unfolding,
power plays and legal battles
and a whole lot of question marks.
You might think you know what's going on.
But just wait.
Your only shackles.
We're gonna uncover some things
that'll make you rethink everything.
It's not just about who won and lost.
It's about like what happens next.
Exactly.
You know, what are the next steps?
We're talking potential like, you know,
constitutional showdowns.
Right.
Legal battles with huge ramifications.
I mean, the future of American politics
is kind of hanging in the balance here.
Yeah. Let's start with this whole FBI shakeup.
So Christopher Wray is resigning as FBI director,
but not really by choice.
Right.
He's stepping down to avoid being fired by Trump.
Now you might be thinking,
okay, new president, new team.
That's politics, right?
You would think so.
But here's where it gets interesting.
Yeah. Tell me more.
So Trump wants to put Cash Patel in Wray's place.
And Patel is known for being like super loyal to Trump.
And also for being willing to go after anyone Trump sees
as an enemy.
Right.
And so Democrats are not happy about this.
They're saying this is like a total power grab.
That it'll politicize the FBI
and basically undermine its independence.
I mean, some are even saying that having someone
like Patel in charge,
who might be more worried about making Trump happy
than like upholding the law, you know,
could really have a chilling effect on investigations.
Yeah. Especially those that might involve Trump or his allies.
Exactly. It makes you wonder, right?
Can the FBI even like stay unbiased and fair under Patel?
Well, and the thing is,
his confirmation is not a sure thing.
Several senators have said they're not so sure about him.
I mean, it's like the future of the FBI
is up in the air right now.
Yeah. It's like a high stakes chess game
with the fate of the FBI is the prize.
Totally. Yeah.
What do you think this means for the FBI?
Like can they even function properly in this climate?
I mean, it definitely creates a lot of uncertainty, right?
Like you don't know what's going to happen.
Yeah. And that can lead to distrust.
If Patel gets confirmed,
it could really embolden those folks in the FBI
who are on Trump's side.
And maybe push aside the ones who are all about independence
and being impartial. Right.
And you know, that could impact investigations,
hurt morale and just erode public trust in the FBI.
Yeah. No one wants that.
No. I don't.
And it seems like Trump is applying pressure
in other areas, blue. Yeah.
Especially when it comes to the Senate.
He's basically started what Politico is calling
iron-o hunting season.
Iron-o hunting season.
What's that all about?
Targeting Republican senators
who haven't been like totally loyal to him.
Oh, so like the ones he thinks aren't really Republicans.
Exactly.
Rhino stands for Republican in name only.
Got it.
And Trump is using his influence
to try and get them replaced in the primaries.
You know, backing challengers
who are more in line with his thinking.
So basically telling them to fall in line or else.
Exactly.
And he's not just talking.
He's taking action.
Oh, really?
Take Senator Joni Ernst, for example.
Okay.
She's getting pressure to endorse Pete Hegseth.
I've heard that name.
Who, remember?
Oh, yeah.
He's the one who had those sexual assault allegations
and hush money payments.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So she's in a tough spot.
Yeah. That's a no-win situation.
Right. Political suicide
or endorse someone with a really questionable past.
And it gets even trickier.
Because the Iowa Attorney General, Brenna Byrd,
she's a huge Trump supporter.
Right.
She wrote this whole op-ed telling senators
to back Trump's nominees.
I saw that.
And everyone saw that as a threat to Ernst.
Totally.
Like, you go against Trump,
you're gonna face a primary challenge.
It's a warning shot.
Yeah.
And she's not alone.
Oh, no.
Senators Cassidy, Rownes, Collins, and Tillis
are all feeling the heat.
Wow, so Trump's really showing them who's boss.
He's making it crystal clear
that he wants total obedience.
Yeah.
But here's a curve fall.
Mitch McConnell.
Oh, what about him?
Who has been, you know,
a major player in the Senate for a long time.
Yeah.
Might be retiring because of health issues.
Oh, interesting.
So if McConnell's out of the picture,
he can't be threatened with a primary challenge.
True.
So he's free to oppose Trump.
Wow. So this could change things.
Right. It could cause real rift in the Republican Party.
Yeah. With McConnell maybe becoming, like,
a leader for those who are tired of Trump's control.
It's like the whole political landscape is shifting.
Yeah.
But it's not just about power in Washington.
Mm-hmm.
Trump is also making big moves on immigration.
What's he up to?
And I'm not talking about small changes.
Okay.
We're talking major overhaul to the system.
Wow.
From day one, he's planning on signing
a bunch of executive orders
to really crack down on immigration.
Like what specifically?
He wants to give immigration officers more power.
Okay.
Beef up border security and push for mass deportations.
Oh, wow.
Like we haven't seen in decades.
Okay.
And the Texas Land Commissioner, Don Buckingham,
she even offered up a 1400-acre ranch
as a place to hold the people being deported.
Geez, they're really serious about this.
Yeah.
I mean, it's kind of scary how far they're willing to go.
It sounds like Trump's whole immigration plan
is basically just deportations and restrictions.
Basically.
Yeah.
And he's even talking about
targeting birthright citizenship.
Wow, but isn't that like a constitutional right?
Yeah.
Guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.
To put this into perspective,
he wants to deport 10 times the number of people deported
during Eisenhower's operation wetback.
Wow.
That's a lot of people.
Yeah.
In 1954.
I mean, that kind of mass deportation
would have huge consequences, wouldn't it?
Like for the economy and for society as a whole.
It's hard to even imagine the logistics of it.
Yeah.
And we have to mention the potential for like human rights
violations.
Right.
And what about the economy?
I mean, think about industries that rely
on undocumented workers.
Oh yeah, like agriculture.
Agriculture construction.
Right.
They can be crippled.
And we haven't even talked about the legal challenges
all of this is going to face.
Oh yeah, that's a whole other can of worms.
Right.
I mean, a lot of what he's proposing,
especially messing with birthright citizenship,
is probably going to get challenged in court right away.
Yeah.
And he's looking at some major court battles
that could decide the fate of all these policies.
It's crazy, right?
Yeah.
On the one hand, you've got Trump.
Yeah.
Using all his power to make these big changes.
But then you have all these potential legal roadblocks.
Right.
And a political system that is definitely not united.
Yeah.
I mean.
It's a recipe for disaster.
It's a recipe for chaos and uncertainty.
For sure.
And we got to remember, this is just the beginning.
Oh gosh.
Trump has said he wants to use executive orders
to change all sorts of things.
Right.
From energy production to education to transgender rights.
Yeah.
So his first day in office could be a whirlwind of activity.
Oh yeah.
Setting the stage for a pretty wild four years.
It sounds like he wants to make a big splash right out
of the gate.
Yeah, for sure.
And it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Yeah.
But before we get ahead of ourselves,
there are a few things that can really make or break his agenda.
Like what?
One of the biggest is the Senate.
Yeah, that makes sense.
What's the makeup of the Senate going to look like?
Yeah, that's super important for any president.
Right.
But especially for someone like Trump who
wants to use executive orders so much.
Exactly.
And there are two Senate seats.
OK.
One in Ohio and one in Florida.
Right.
That are particularly important right now.
Yeah, why is that?
So in Ohio, when JD Vance becomes vice president,
his Senate seat will be empty.
And it'll be up to Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican,
to choose someone to fill it.
OK.
But here's the thing.
What's that?
DeWine and Trump haven't always gotten along.
Oh, really?
Yeah, DeWine has criticized Trump a few times.
And some people think he might pick someone who isn't totally
on board with Trump's agenda.
Oh, interesting.
Which could weaken Trump's control over the Senate
and make it harder for him to get his nominees
in legislation passed.
For sure.
And then there's Florida.
OK, what about Florida?
If Marco Rubio becomes Secretary of State,
his Senate seat will also be open.
And Governor Ron DeSantis.
Another Republican.
We'll get to choose his replacement.
OK.
And this is where things get really interesting.
Yeah, why?
Because of the potential rivalry between Trump and DeSantis.
Oh, right, right, right.
So this appointment could become like a bargaining chip.
Yeah.
Like, who has more power?
Yeah, exactly.
That's fascinating.
If DeSantis wants to run for president in 2028,
he'll want to pick someone who helps him.
Right.
Maybe someone who isn't so loyal to Trump.
Yeah, that makes sense.
And that could make things even more complicated for Trump.
Yeah.
And create more friction within the Republican Party.
So much drama.
Right.
It's like a political thriller.
Totally.
You've got the FBI in turmoil, the Senate facing a loyalty test.
Right.
And a president-elect with a super controversial
and ambitious agenda.
It sounds like the beginning of a movie.
And we're just getting to the good part.
OK, so what's next?
But hold on tight.
OK.
Because there's another layer of drama.
Uh-oh.
We need to talk about Trump's legal barriers.
Yeah, right, right, right.
He's facing two major legal challenges in New York.
Yeah.
And these cases could have a huge impact on his presidency.
OK, what are they?
So first, there's the Hush Money case,
where he was found guilty on 34 counts of violating
state commercial law.
I remember that.
And the Manhattan DA, Alvin Bragg,
is determined to see this through.
He says that dismissing it would set a dangerous precedent.
Yeah.
And basically undermine the whole justice system.
Right, yeah.
He's saying that no one's above the law, not even the president.
Exactly.
And then there's the bank fraud case.
How to say?
Brought by the New York Attorney General, Leticia James.
Right.
Where a judge has already ordered Trump
to pay a $486 million penalty.
Oh, wow.
James has rejected Trump's request to drop the case.
She says that being president won't stop him
from dealing with this case.
Interesting.
But imagine if the appeals court upholds that penalty.
OK.
Trump might have to sell off assets to pay it.
Right.
I mean, it could be crazy.
We could see his properties being seized and auctioned off.
Wow, can you imagine the chaos?
I can't even.
I mean, that would be unprecedented.
A sitting president having to sell his stuff
because of a court order?
That's not just a legal battle.
Right.
That's a potential constitutional crisis.
It really makes you think about what could happen.
Yeah, for sure.
But as if all that wasn't enough.
Oh, there's more.
We also have the case of Luigi Mangene.
Who's that?
The man who shot and killed health insurance
executive Elijah Thompson.
I vaguely remember hearing about that.
His case is complicated.
OK.
And it's stirring up a lot of debate.
Why is that?
Well, Manchi's online history is a mix
of all sorts of ideologies.
You can't really pin him down politically.
So he's not easily categorized as left or right?
Exactly.
He doesn't fit neatly into either box,
which makes him a tricky figure for either side
to use to their advantage.
I see, yeah.
But his motive for the shooting is still unclear.
OK.
Some people think that his health insurance company wouldn't
cover his spinal fusion surgery.
And if that's true, I could add fuel
to the fire of the health care debate, which
is already pretty heated.
It taps into those deep anxieties people
have about health care.
Yeah, can I get the care I need?
Will I be able to afford it?
It's a scary thought for a lot of people.
Yeah, and if his trial focuses on that denial of health care,
it could really spark a larger conversation
about the role of insurance companies.
For sure.
And the problems people face trying to get affordable care.
And his trial strategy could be interesting too.
Oh, how so?
There's a chance he might try to argue for jury nullification.
Jury nullification?
What's that?
It's where you try to convince the jury to ignore the law.
Wow.
And acquit the defendant based on morals or social reasons.
I don't know if that would work.
It's a long shot.
Yeah.
But he might claim that Thompson
is a health insurance executive.
Right.
Was responsible for denying health care to other people.
OK.
And that those denials led to deaths.
It's a bold strategy.
Yes.
It could lead to a mistrial.
Or even get the case dropped altogether.
But that's a really controversial tactic.
It is.
And it rarely works.
But even if it fails, it could still
bring attention to the problems in the health care system.
Yeah.
And get people talking about the role of corporations
in providing essential services.
Yeah.
It's a case that's going to make us all think.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
It really makes you think about how we balance holding
people accountable with making sure everyone has access
to the care they need.
Yeah.
It's a tough one, for sure.
But speaking of tough, let's move on to Dave McCormick.
Oh, yeah.
The new senator from Pennsylvania.
The guy who just won that really close election.
Right.
I've heard Republican strategists are like obsessed
with his campaign.
They're trying to figure out his secret sauce.
Yeah.
And how did he pull it off in such a tight race?
Exactly.
So what can we learn from his campaign?
Well, his strategy was pretty interesting.
He went after a group that a lot of campaigns ignore.
Oh, really?
How?
Young men, like the ones who feel disillusioned with politics.
Oh, yeah.
The ones who don't usually vote.
OK.
And instead of focusing on specific policies,
he played up his West Point background
and his military service.
So he focused on patriotism and duty.
Exactly.
He appealed to their sense of belonging and purpose.
That's smart.
Yeah.
Instead of getting bogged down in the nitty gritty of policy.
Do you think that'll work for other Republicans?
Maybe.
I mean, it shows there's a whole group of voters out there
who want something different.
They're not interested in the same old political speeches.
They want someone who speaks to their values.
Yeah.
But whether it can be replicated on a larger scale
is hard to say.
True.
It's definitely something strategists
will be watching closely, though.
Yeah, I bet.
But some people say McCormick's win
was more about Trump's endorsement and his money
than anything else.
Yeah, those things definitely helped.
Trump's backing means a lot to a lot of Republican voters.
And McCormick's money let him outspend his opponent.
Right.
But he still had a tough race.
Oh, yeah, for sure.
It was a swing state, after all.
I think his ability to connect with those disaffected voters
was a big part of his success.
Yeah, it's always hard to say what's more important.
Strategy or circumstance.
Right.
Or is it a mix of both?
Exactly.
That's a good question.
But I think McCormick's campaign shows us something
important about how politics is changing.
Definitely.
It shows there's a growing group of voters
who feel left out of the political process.
Figuring out how to reach those voters
is going to be crucial for both parties moving forward.
Absolutely.
OK, now for a story that's a little bit absurd.
OK, I like absurd.
But also makes you think.
All right, I am intrigued.
We have to talk about the Onion's attempt to buy info wars.
Wait, what?
Yeah, you heard that right.
The Onion trying to buy info wars?
The satirical news site trying to buy the platform
known for spreading conspiracy theories.
Wow, that's crazy.
It's like something out of a movie.
It really highlights this weird mix of satire and misinformation
and the legal system all rolled into one.
Things are all colliding.
Yeah.
The Onion is known for being funny and smart.
They use humor to point out hypocrisy and just
the absurdity of everything.
Right, and their bid for info wars
was definitely meant to be satire.
Yeah.
But it also brought up some serious questions.
Like what?
Well, in the end, a judge blocked the sale.
He said it was important to get the most money possible
for the Sandy Hook families.
Oh, the families who sued Alex Jones.
Exactly.
For all that awful stuff he said about the shooting.
Yeah.
And this decision by the judge really
shows how serious the consequences of spreading
misinformation can be.
Right.
Like Jones has been held accountable in court.
Yeah.
But the damage he's done is irreversible.
That's true.
And the judge basically put the needs of the victims
above the Onion's satirical goals.
It makes you think about where the line is, you know?
Yeah.
Like when does satire go too far?
Right.
Even if they were trying to point out
how ridiculous info wars is, it could also
seem like they were making light of the suffering
of those families.
Yeah.
It's a tough balance.
For sure.
So what's going to happen to info wars now?
It's unclear.
Jones' filed for bankruptcy.
I remember hearing that.
And they're selling off his assets
to pay the judgments against him.
OK.
But the impact of what he's done is going
to last for a long time.
Yeah.
The spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories
is a huge problem these days.
Absolutely.
And the info wars saga is like a warning sign.
A cautionary tale.
Yeah, exactly.
It makes you realize how important it
is to be able to tell what's real and what's not.
And to think critically about the information we're bombarded
with every day?
Yeah.
We need to be aware of our own biases, too.
Right.
How they affect how we see the world.
It all ties into the role of social media
in spreading misinformation.
I mean, info wars got a lot of its reach
through platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
True.
And while they've tried to crack down on harmful content,
it's an uphill battle.
It feels like they're constantly playing catch-up.
Yeah.
Trying to stay ahead of the people
who are gaming the system to spread lies and create division.
It's a mess.
It really is.
And there's no easy answer.
Well, we've covered a lot today.
Yeah, we have.
From the FBI to politics to legal battles
to immigration to the dangers of misinformation.
It's a lot to process.
It can feel pretty overwhelming trying
to make sense of it all.
Yeah, it can.
But I think the key is to stay informed.
Be critical of what you read and hear.
Yeah.
And just be aware of all the things
that are shaping our world.
And to remember that this story isn't over.
Oh, yeah.
It's just the beginning.
The decisions that get made in the coming weeks and months
will have a big impact on where we go from here.
That's for sure.
I don't know about you, but it feels like everything's
changing so fast.
Yeah, it's like we're in this constant state of upheaval.
It's easy to get caught up in all the headlines
and feel kind of helpless.
Right.
And that's exactly why it's so important to step back.
Yeah.
And really think about what's going on.
And analyze it.
Yeah, we need to understand what's driving all of this.
Power dynamics, the long-term consequences.
Right.
It's not enough to just follow the news.
Yeah, exactly.
We have to be informed.
And engaged.
Yes, engaged citizens.
And that means understanding how all these events, the FBI
shake up, Trump's legal problems, the immigration debate,
the misinformation.
It's all connected.
They're all connected.
They're all part of the same puzzle.
Reflecting the divisions in our society.
And shaping the future of our country.
Absolutely.
You know, one thing that really stood out to me
is how much power a small group of people have.
Like Trump influencing the Senate.
Right.
Governors appointing replacements.
Those decisions have a ripple effect.
Yeah, the decisions of a few can impact everyone.
That's how power works.
Especially in our system.
Yeah.
But it also shows how important checks and balances are.
We have to hold those in power accountable.
And make sure the people's voices are heard.
Exactly.
So where do we go from here?
What can we do in all of this?
Well, the first thing is to stay informed.
Don't just skim the headlines or scroll through social media.
Right.
Dig deeper.
Look for different perspectives.
Be critical.
Be critical of the information you come across.
And don't be afraid to have conversations.
Yes.
Even with people who disagree with you.
Yeah, those tough conversations.
That's how we start to bridge the divides.
Find some common ground.
Right.
And remember, your voice matters.
It does.
Get involved in your community.
Contact your representatives.
Fight for the things you care about.
Yeah, collective action is powerful.
Don't underestimate it.
This deep dive has given you the tools
to understand what's happening in America.
To go beyond the surface.
Now it's up to you to use that knowledge
to make a difference.
Keep asking questions.
Keep learning.
And keep pushing for a better future.
This is our story.
Yeah.
And we all have a part in writing the next chapter.
Well said.
That wraps up our deep dives into post-election America.
It's been quite a ride.
Remember, things are changing every day.
The stakes are high.
And the only thing we know for sure
is that things will keep changing.
So stay curious, stay engaged, and stay informed.
Thanks for joining us.