WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.240 Welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're really 00:00:03.240 --> 00:00:06.759 digging into a stack of recent pretty critical 00:00:06.759 --> 00:00:10.779 insights. You know, articles, research, our notes 00:00:10.779 --> 00:00:13.699 covering politics, the courts, the economy, even 00:00:13.699 --> 00:00:16.600 the media landscape. Absolutely. And our goal 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:19.460 for you listening is to pull out the most important 00:00:19.460 --> 00:00:21.260 bits, the key knowledge from all this stuff, 00:00:21.539 --> 00:00:23.579 give you a shortcut to being really well informed. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:25.839 Yeah. Connect those dots between things that 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:28.539 might seem unrelated at first. Exactly. Get to 00:00:28.539 --> 00:00:30.579 the so what. What's really going on underneath 00:00:30.579 --> 00:00:33.100 and why should you care? Right. And we're diving 00:00:33.100 --> 00:00:36.299 straight in today with something pretty explosive 00:00:36.299 --> 00:00:39.130 that just surfaced. Oh, yeah. This. love letter, 00:00:39.130 --> 00:00:41.149 quote unquote, from Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein. 00:00:41.369 --> 00:00:43.049 It's just been published. OK, let's unpack this. 00:00:43.229 --> 00:00:45.270 OK, yeah. So this came out via the House Oversight 00:00:45.270 --> 00:00:47.429 Committee. Yeah. What's the deal with the tone? 00:00:48.189 --> 00:00:50.310 The sources we looked at had some thoughts. They 00:00:50.310 --> 00:00:53.149 really did. It's described as like quasi poetic, 00:00:53.350 --> 00:00:55.549 almost like a weird sonnet. Things like there 00:00:55.549 --> 00:00:57.850 must be more to life than having everything, 00:00:58.189 --> 00:01:00.670 which is quite something coming from those two, 00:01:00.729 --> 00:01:03.729 right? Definitely a choice. What else? Enigmas 00:01:03.729 --> 00:01:07.900 Never Age and this one. A pal is a wonderful 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:11.239 thing. Happy birthday and may every day be another 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:14.980 wonderful secret. Wonderful secret. Wow, okay. 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:17.719 And the analysis also called it hacky. Yeah, 00:01:17.819 --> 00:01:20.359 hacky. And interestingly, having an enormous 00:01:20.359 --> 00:01:22.480 amount of gay subtext, that's what the report 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.299 noted, adds a whole other layer. Huh. So not 00:01:26.299 --> 00:01:29.540 just a casual happy birthday. Not at all. And 00:01:29.540 --> 00:01:31.840 predictably, the Trump camp immediately went 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.530 on the defensive. called it a fake and a hoax. 00:01:34.689 --> 00:01:36.829 Right. I saw that. What's the basis for that 00:01:36.829 --> 00:01:39.170 claim? Something about the signature. Exactly. 00:01:39.290 --> 00:01:41.670 They're saying the signature doesn't match. But 00:01:41.670 --> 00:01:44.030 the sources we reviewed, they really push back 00:01:44.030 --> 00:01:46.159 on that. How so? Well, the Trump team showed 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:48.280 formal signatures, you know, the full name kind 00:01:48.280 --> 00:01:51.079 of thing. But this letter just has Donald. And 00:01:51.079 --> 00:01:52.900 when you compare that to other times, he signed 00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:55.680 just Donald. It matches those casual signatures. 00:01:55.879 --> 00:01:58.400 Bingo. It's a clear match, according to the analysis. 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:00.480 Plus, you've got outlets like the Wall Street 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:02.840 Journal describing this letter previously, suggesting 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:04.840 they'd already checked it out. And it'd be a 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:07.120 huge risk for Democrats to push something fake. 00:02:07.140 --> 00:02:09.919 Right. The political blowback would be immense. 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:12.860 Exactly. So the sources are pretty confident 00:02:12.860 --> 00:02:15.750 this thing is authentic. Okay, so if it's real, 00:02:16.430 --> 00:02:18.789 this isn't just some random one -off incident, 00:02:18.990 --> 00:02:22.409 is it? Our research seemed to paint a much broader 00:02:22.409 --> 00:02:25.349 picture. Oh, absolutely. It fits into what the 00:02:25.349 --> 00:02:28.560 sources describe as a really extensive... disturbing 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:31.199 pattern. There's a whole history compiled. Yeah, 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:33.000 walk us through some of that. What were the key 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:34.879 points highlighted? Okay, well, there's the long 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:37.719 history of sexual comments about underage women, 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:41.180 including disturbingly his own daughter, Ivanka. 00:02:41.340 --> 00:02:44.020 Right. Then the accounts of predatory behavior. 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:46.900 At the beauty pageants he owned, watching teenage 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:49.699 girls changing. The infamous grab them by the 00:02:49.699 --> 00:02:51.539 pulley tape, obviously. Can't forget that one. 00:02:51.659 --> 00:02:54.060 Then you have the actual legal findings of rape 00:02:54.060 --> 00:02:57.180 in the E. Jean Carroll case. And the courts upholding 00:02:57.180 --> 00:02:59.439 those big defamation judgments against him. Which 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:02.280 is significant legally. Very. There are also 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:04.759 credible accusations he raped his first wife. 00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:07.699 The sources note he cheated on all three wives, 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:10.319 paid off at least two sexual partners. And the 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:13.719 Epstein connection itself. Oh yeah. dozens, perhaps 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:17.939 hundreds of photos of Trump with Epstein. Their 00:03:17.939 --> 00:03:20.300 close friendship over many years is well documented. 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:23.370 And specific accusations linking them. Yes. At 00:03:23.370 --> 00:03:26.469 least 28 women accusing Trump of sexual misconduct. 00:03:26.870 --> 00:03:29.389 That includes Katie Johnson, who alleged rape 00:03:29.389 --> 00:03:32.069 by both Trump and Epstein when she was just 13. 00:03:32.169 --> 00:03:35.650 13, wow. And beyond that, at least 50 women accusing 00:03:35.650 --> 00:03:38.389 him of unwanted advances or harassment. It's 00:03:38.389 --> 00:03:40.830 a lot. It really is. So when you pull all that 00:03:40.830 --> 00:03:43.870 together, what's the bottom line from these reports, 00:03:44.590 --> 00:03:46.610 the incontrovertible assertions, as they put 00:03:46.610 --> 00:03:48.979 it? The sources are blunt. They say Trump has 00:03:48.979 --> 00:03:51.560 few or no boundaries when it comes to indulging 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:54.699 his own libido and possesses an enormous sense 00:03:54.699 --> 00:03:57.620 of entitlement, which they conclude leads directly 00:03:57.620 --> 00:04:00.639 to multiple acts of sexual misconduct, sexual 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:03.379 violence. The implication being this kind of 00:04:03.379 --> 00:04:05.479 pattern would sink almost anyone else. Pretty 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:07.699 much. But with Trump, it raises different questions 00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:09.520 about political survival, right? Definitely. 00:04:09.860 --> 00:04:12.120 So given all this background in the letter. The 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:14.780 sources zeroed in on a couple of key unanswered 00:04:14.780 --> 00:04:17.319 questions about Trump and Epstein. Right. The 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:20.240 first was, did Trump know about Epstein's activities 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:23.339 with underage victims? And the sources seem to 00:04:23.339 --> 00:04:26.000 think that one is answered. Yeah, they lean towards 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.319 yes. Their reasoning is basically that Trump 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:32.000 is an inveterate liar. OK. And every single claim 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:34.060 he's made trying to distance himself from Epstein, 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:37.379 like, I never sent Epstein a card, which this 00:04:37.379 --> 00:04:40.139 letter obviously disproves, has turned out to 00:04:40.139 --> 00:04:43.319 be false. So the pattern of denial and falsehood 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:46.180 suggests he is covering up knowledge. That's 00:04:46.180 --> 00:04:48.279 the argument. They say the best -case scenario 00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:50.819 for him is that he knew and is trying to hide 00:04:50.819 --> 00:04:53.620 it. His claims of ignorance just aren't credible, 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:55.899 given the track record. Okay, so if knowledge 00:04:55.899 --> 00:04:58.920 is likely, that leaves the question of participation. 00:04:59.019 --> 00:05:01.899 Did he actually participate in those acts? Exactly. 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:04.240 And that's where it gets a bit more nuanced, 00:05:04.259 --> 00:05:07.000 according to the reports. We have Katie Johnson's 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:09.319 testimony. Right. The allegation of rape involving 00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:12.209 both of them? Yes. But the sources point out 00:05:12.209 --> 00:05:15.310 her specific claims haven't undergone cross -examination 00:05:15.310 --> 00:05:18.269 in court yet. Ah, I see. So while they consider 00:05:18.269 --> 00:05:21.689 it credible, there's that legal caveat. Precisely. 00:05:21.990 --> 00:05:24.170 But they also say this letter coming out will 00:05:24.170 --> 00:05:26.889 just heighten pressure to release everything, 00:05:27.149 --> 00:05:29.269 all the Epstein records, which might finally 00:05:29.269 --> 00:05:32.769 give us definitive answer. Makes sense. So politically, 00:05:33.750 --> 00:05:35.850 what are the pressure points here? Does this 00:05:35.850 --> 00:05:38.149 stuff actually move the needle or does his base 00:05:38.149 --> 00:05:40.480 just shrug it off? That's the million -dollar 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:42.699 question, isn't it? The source suggests a few 00:05:42.699 --> 00:05:45.040 things to watch. Will politicians like Speaker 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:47.800 Mike Johnson start backing away? Johnson already 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:50.120 floated that weird Trump -as -informant theory, 00:05:50.199 --> 00:05:52.180 then retracted it fast. Yeah, that was strange. 00:05:52.379 --> 00:05:54.800 Will others stop defending him on this? Second, 00:05:55.100 --> 00:05:57.639 could this finally peel off some of his base? 00:05:58.180 --> 00:06:00.980 They tolerate a lot, but maybe underage victims 00:06:00.980 --> 00:06:03.730 cross a line for some. Maybe. It's a different 00:06:03.730 --> 00:06:05.910 category of offense for many people. And third, 00:06:06.029 --> 00:06:08.790 will it mobilize opposition? Women, victims, 00:06:09.069 --> 00:06:11.129 religious groups maybe getting more motivated 00:06:11.129 --> 00:06:13.730 to vote against him? All possibilities. The fact 00:06:13.730 --> 00:06:15.810 it's still making headlines suggests it has legs. 00:06:16.189 --> 00:06:18.410 Definitely has staying power, which could make 00:06:18.410 --> 00:06:22.290 some politicians nervous, you know. Okay, shifting 00:06:22.290 --> 00:06:24.910 gears now, but staying with powerful institutions. 00:06:25.449 --> 00:06:27.430 Let's talk about the Supreme Court. All right. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:28.980 What's happening there? Well, this is really 00:06:28.980 --> 00:06:32.019 interesting. SCOTUS granted Trump an emergency 00:06:32.019 --> 00:06:34.879 stay. It paused a lower court's order that was 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:38.839 stopping ICE from doing indiscriminate roundups 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:41.600 of Latinos in Los Angeles. OK, an emergency stay. 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:45.139 So Trump won that round. Sort of, but it's temporary. 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:47.300 The restraining order itself was about to expire 00:06:47.300 --> 00:06:49.800 anyway. And crucially, the main opinion from 00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:52.560 the court was just one paragraph that explicitly 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:54.819 said it was not a ruling on the merits of the 00:06:54.819 --> 00:06:57.170 case itself. Just hitting pause will. appeals 00:06:57.170 --> 00:06:59.889 happen. Typical shatter docket stuff. Exactly. 00:07:00.170 --> 00:07:02.149 But here's the kicker. Justice Kavanaugh wrote 00:07:02.149 --> 00:07:05.290 a separate 10 page concurring opinion. 10 pages. 00:07:05.490 --> 00:07:08.290 Just him. Just him. No one else joined. But the 00:07:08.290 --> 00:07:10.430 sources say he wrote it almost as if he was speaking 00:07:10.430 --> 00:07:13.269 for the majority, even kind of telling the lower 00:07:13.269 --> 00:07:16.529 court judge what to do next. Hmm. That's unusual. 00:07:16.629 --> 00:07:18.850 What was his argument? This is where the analysis 00:07:18.850 --> 00:07:22.069 gets really critical. They say Kavanaugh basically 00:07:22.069 --> 00:07:25.790 made a casual shift to a show your papers requirement 00:07:25.790 --> 00:07:29.529 for people of a certain ethnicity. Wow. How did 00:07:29.529 --> 00:07:31.870 he justify that? Well, he sort of admits the 00:07:31.870 --> 00:07:34.149 Fourth Amendment stops racial profiling on its 00:07:34.149 --> 00:07:37.329 own, but then he says race or ethnicity can be 00:07:37.329 --> 00:07:39.649 a relevant factor if you combine it with other 00:07:39.649 --> 00:07:42.410 stereotypes. Other stereotypes? Like what? To 00:07:42.410 --> 00:07:46.339 form a totality of the circumstances. He dismisses 00:07:46.339 --> 00:07:50.459 the need for specific, articulable facts about 00:07:50.459 --> 00:07:53.540 an individual. So no specific reason to suspect 00:07:53.540 --> 00:07:55.879 that person, just general characteristics. Pretty 00:07:55.879 --> 00:07:59.240 much. He cites things like, there are two million 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:02.220 illegal immigrants in LA, many from Mexico or 00:08:02.220 --> 00:08:04.060 Central America. They might not speak much English. 00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:06.399 They gather in certain locations. They look for 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:08.959 work in construction or landscaping. So basically, 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:11.959 if you fit a broad demographic profile in a certain 00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:14.209 area. You're fair game for being starved, according 00:08:14.209 --> 00:08:16.269 to Kavanaugh's reasoning here. The sources say 00:08:16.269 --> 00:08:18.329 this turns the Fourth Amendment completely on 00:08:18.329 --> 00:08:20.910 its head. Implying different rules based on skin 00:08:20.910 --> 00:08:23.089 color or language? That's the interpretation, 00:08:23.329 --> 00:08:25.910 yeah. It's a pretty stark reading of his opinion. 00:08:26.029 --> 00:08:29.290 Was there dissent on this? Oh yes. Justice Sotomayor, 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:32.230 joined by Kagan and Jackson, wrote a dissent. 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:34.980 She called out the court's abuse of the shadow 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:37.139 docket again. Right, making big decisions without 00:08:37.139 --> 00:08:40.700 full arguments. Exactly. She argued that constitutional 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:43.419 rules exist precisely to protect people from 00:08:43.419 --> 00:08:46.200 this kind of broad government action, especially 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:48.899 when it happens quickly and without full transparency. 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:51.840 A fundamental disagreement on process and substance. 00:08:51.960 --> 00:08:55.860 Definitely. Though the reports did note one tiny 00:08:55.860 --> 00:08:59.480 silver lining. Oh. What's that? Kavanaugh did 00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:01.740 agree that using excessive force during these 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:03.679 kinds of raids would violate the Fourth Amendment. 00:09:03.980 --> 00:09:06.320 Small comfort, maybe, but an acknowledgment of 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:08.919 limits. Right. He tried to argue it wasn't relevant 00:09:08.919 --> 00:09:11.639 to this case, but he conceded the point on excessive 00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:15.100 force itself. OK. So from the courts impacting 00:09:15.100 --> 00:09:18.679 liberty, let's pivot to the economy impacting 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:21.960 everyone's wallet and maybe their votes. We got 00:09:21.960 --> 00:09:24.600 some new jobs numbers. We did legit numbers, 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:26.940 as the source put it, meaning before Trump's 00:09:26.940 --> 00:09:29.200 controversial pick for the Bureau of Labor Statistics 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:33.399 head takes over. And the news wasn't great. OK, 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:35.059 lay it on us. What did the reports highlight? 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:39.159 Three main things. First, only 22 ,000 jobs added 00:09:39.159 --> 00:09:41.879 in August. That's way below expectations and 00:09:41.879 --> 00:09:44.779 way under the 100 ,000 or so needed just to keep 00:09:44.779 --> 00:09:47.320 pace with population growth. Boach. OK, point 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:49.820 one. Second, remember June's initial number, 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:52.480 already pretty weak at 14 ,000 added. Yeah. It 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:56.220 got revised down to 13 ,000 jobs lost. Lost. 00:09:56.409 --> 00:09:59.049 So negative territory. Yep first time that's 00:09:59.049 --> 00:10:01.309 happened since late 2020 during the pandemic 00:10:01.309 --> 00:10:04.149 Wow, okay bad revision and third unemployment 00:10:04.149 --> 00:10:06.210 ticked up to four point three percent That's 00:10:06.210 --> 00:10:09.230 the highest it's been since mid 2021 So drag 00:10:09.230 --> 00:10:11.590 growth stalling task numbers worse than thought 00:10:11.590 --> 00:10:14.250 and unemployment rising Not a good combo not 00:10:14.250 --> 00:10:16.389 at all and the sources contrasted this with the 00:10:16.389 --> 00:10:19.110 pandemic era saying back then it was Pandemic 00:10:19.110 --> 00:10:22.049 first economic downturn second now they observed 00:10:22.049 --> 00:10:23.750 it feels like the administration is shooting 00:10:23.750 --> 00:10:26.690 for economic downturn first pandemic second That's 00:10:26.690 --> 00:10:28.970 a pretty sharp assessment. And I assume the spin 00:10:28.970 --> 00:10:31.289 machines were working overtime. Oh, immediately. 00:10:32.789 --> 00:10:35.149 The... Propaganda operation kicked into full 00:10:35.149 --> 00:10:37.950 gear, as one source put it. You had Fox saying 00:10:37.950 --> 00:10:40.029 the data was unreliable. Things are actually 00:10:40.029 --> 00:10:42.789 great. Standard playbook. And Commerce Secretary 00:10:42.789 --> 00:10:45.370 Howard Letnick saying, basically, just wait. 00:10:45.710 --> 00:10:48.169 Wait until a year from today. Wow, it will be 00:10:48.169 --> 00:10:51.690 amazing numbers. Yeah, GM tomorrow. But how does 00:10:51.690 --> 00:10:54.210 this actually play out for voters? Do these numbers 00:10:54.210 --> 00:10:56.470 cut through the spin? That's the key question. 00:10:56.590 --> 00:10:59.269 The analysis we looked at was clear. Average 00:10:59.269 --> 00:11:01.629 folks care about results at their own kitchen 00:11:01.629 --> 00:11:04.629 table. Not abstract numbers or propaganda. Exactly. 00:11:04.929 --> 00:11:07.289 Weak job numbers like these are often seen as 00:11:07.289 --> 00:11:09.769 the opening act to a recession. And recessions 00:11:09.769 --> 00:11:12.029 hit everyone. Right. They impact household budgets, 00:11:12.289 --> 00:11:14.110 job security. That's the kind of thing that can 00:11:14.110 --> 00:11:16.389 really swing votes, regardless of what politicians 00:11:16.389 --> 00:11:18.669 are saying. The sources argue the administration 00:11:18.669 --> 00:11:21.549 will eventually pay a price if this trend continues. 00:11:21.690 --> 00:11:24.789 The kitchen table reality eventually bites. Okay. 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:27.759 So, speaking of perception and political strategy, 00:11:27.860 --> 00:11:30.220 let's shift to something a little different. 00:11:30.419 --> 00:11:32.440 Yeah, these next examples are pretty striking. 00:11:32.700 --> 00:11:35.899 They're about the efforts to, well, protect Donald 00:11:35.899 --> 00:11:40.080 Trump's ego. Ah, okay. Intriguing. What's the 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:42.700 first one? Trump showed up at the US Open tennis 00:11:42.700 --> 00:11:45.230 tournament in New York. Okay. Probably not his 00:11:45.230 --> 00:11:47.549 usual Magia crowd, right? Definitely not. Less 00:11:47.549 --> 00:11:50.610 Trumpy than NASCAR or UFC, as the source noted. 00:11:50.889 --> 00:11:53.990 And get this, the USTA, the Tennis Association, 00:11:54.230 --> 00:11:57.169 apparently tried to tell ESPN not to show any 00:11:57.169 --> 00:12:00.110 booing if it happened. Seriously? Why? Fear of 00:12:00.110 --> 00:12:03.789 losing research grants, supposedly. Wow. Did 00:12:03.789 --> 00:12:06.480 ESPN agree? Nope. They said they'd cover it normally. 00:12:06.740 --> 00:12:09.139 In the end, the reaction was, mix some cheers, 00:12:09.299 --> 00:12:12.080 some booze. Hard to tell the ratio, but the attempt 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:14.539 itself is pretty wild. Yeah, trying to pre -sensor 00:12:14.539 --> 00:12:16.360 crowd reactions, that's something. It's the second 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:18.580 example. This involves the U .S. Military Academy 00:12:18.580 --> 00:12:21.399 at West Point and their prestigious Sylvanus 00:12:21.399 --> 00:12:23.559 Thayer Award. Okay, I know that one. Huge honor. 00:12:23.740 --> 00:12:26.279 Past recipients like astronauts, generals, even 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:29.460 presidents, right? Exactly. Neil Armstrong, Colin 00:12:29.460 --> 00:12:32.679 Powell, Barack Obama. That's a big deal. So who 00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:35.720 got it this year? Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks. OK, makes 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:38.240 sense. Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, 00:12:38.659 --> 00:12:41.019 all his work for veterans. Precisely. The committee 00:12:41.019 --> 00:12:43.340 chair praised him extensively for his positive 00:12:43.340 --> 00:12:45.820 portrayal of service members and veterans. So 00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:48.620 what's the issue? The award ceremony was suddenly 00:12:48.620 --> 00:12:51.440 canceled. Cancelled. Why? The official reason 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:55.750 was, wait for it. A need to focus on operational 00:12:55.750 --> 00:12:58.289 readiness. Operational readiness. For an award 00:12:58.289 --> 00:13:00.590 ceremony that's happened every year since 1958, 00:13:01.009 --> 00:13:04.940 even during wars. That sounds... Thin. Extremely 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:07.019 thin. The sources dug into the real reasons, 00:13:07.059 --> 00:13:09.659 of course. Let me guess. Hanks isn't a fan of 00:13:09.659 --> 00:13:13.720 Trump. Hanks is described as a well -known lib 00:13:13.720 --> 00:13:16.740 he campaigned for Biden -Harris. And crucially, 00:13:17.259 --> 00:13:19.179 the underlying sentiment, according to the sources, 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.159 is that only one person in this country who is 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.100 allowed to be honored with a military parade 00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:28.019 is Trump. So Hanks gets the award. But no ceremony, 00:13:28.179 --> 00:13:30.620 basically to avoid honoring someone Trump dislikes. 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:32.740 Seems to be the gist. It's kind of incredible 00:13:32.740 --> 00:13:35.179 how these big institutions end up bending over 00:13:35.179 --> 00:13:37.460 backwards because of perceived presidential peak. 00:13:37.700 --> 00:13:40.200 It really shows how personal feelings can ripple 00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:42.669 outwards, doesn't it? What was Trump's reaction? 00:13:42.909 --> 00:13:45.309 Oh, he posted about it on social media, naturally, 00:13:45.549 --> 00:13:48.649 called it an important move, said, we don't need 00:13:48.649 --> 00:13:51.830 destructive, woke recipients getting our cherished 00:13:51.830 --> 00:13:54.990 American awards. Wow. OK. And then, weirdly, 00:13:55.250 --> 00:13:58.889 tied it to concern about dead ratings surge for 00:13:58.889 --> 00:14:01.710 fake award shows, still obsessed with ratings. 00:14:02.149 --> 00:14:04.730 Always back to the ratings. So what's the political 00:14:04.730 --> 00:14:06.509 fallout from stuff like this? Does it hurt him? 00:14:06.669 --> 00:14:09.190 Well, the analysis suggests it's a mixed bag. 00:14:09.490 --> 00:14:12.070 The base loves to see their hero own the libs, 00:14:12.190 --> 00:14:13.950 right? Sure, that plays well with them. But outside 00:14:13.950 --> 00:14:16.470 of Maldonado, poking him in the eye is a bad 00:14:16.470 --> 00:14:19.710 look and makes Trump look small. It reinforces 00:14:19.710 --> 00:14:22.230 negative perceptions among moderate or independent 00:14:22.230 --> 00:14:24.970 voters. Erodes broader support. Yeah. And the 00:14:24.970 --> 00:14:27.190 sources note this stuff coincides with Trump 00:14:27.190 --> 00:14:29.889 having his worse polling of his second term, 00:14:30.450 --> 00:14:34.149 consistently low for weeks now, these petty grievances 00:14:34.149 --> 00:14:36.850 might contribute to that slide. Interesting connection. 00:14:37.149 --> 00:14:39.129 OK, let's switch gears again to the media world. 00:14:39.730 --> 00:14:42.149 The Murdoch empire settlement sounds like succession 00:14:42.149 --> 00:14:45.490 in real life. Totally. So Lachlan Murdoch is 00:14:45.490 --> 00:14:49.750 now fully in charge. The other siblings got one 00:14:49.750 --> 00:14:52.850 point one billion dollars each. Nice consolation 00:14:52.850 --> 00:14:55.690 price. Not bad. So the simple take is Lachlan 00:14:55.690 --> 00:14:58.389 runs it. Fox News stays conservative. End of 00:14:58.389 --> 00:15:00.929 story. That's the common angle, yeah. But the 00:15:00.929 --> 00:15:03.129 sources we looked at point to something much 00:15:03.129 --> 00:15:06.110 bigger, a far more important dynamic. Which is? 00:15:06.149 --> 00:15:08.570 Basically the rapid decline of cable news itself. 00:15:09.049 --> 00:15:11.889 Think about the median viewer age. Fox is 68, 00:15:12.389 --> 00:15:18.500 CNN 67, MSNBC 71. Whoa. And it's old. Right. 00:15:18.659 --> 00:15:20.580 People, especially younger demographics, are 00:15:20.580 --> 00:15:23.919 shifting to on -demand, less structured political 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:26.100 content podcasts, YouTube, things like that. 00:15:26.179 --> 00:15:28.179 So the power base is shifting away from traditional 00:15:28.179 --> 00:15:30.700 cable channels. Exactly. The analysis suggests 00:15:30.700 --> 00:15:33.019 the real crown jewels for the Murdoch empire 00:15:33.019 --> 00:15:35.500 now are things like Dow Jones, Wall Street Journal, 00:15:35.740 --> 00:15:38.179 and Sky News Australia, which have stronger digital 00:15:38.179 --> 00:15:41.379 presences. Making the Foch cable channel less 00:15:41.379 --> 00:15:43.480 central. Potentially becoming more of a side 00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:45.340 hustle, as one report put it. It'll still be 00:15:45.340 --> 00:15:47.440 there, still conservative, but maybe not the 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:49.600 absolute center of their influence strategy going 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:51.840 forward. That's a huge shift in how we think 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:54.759 about media power and political influence and 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:57.259 how candidates have to reach voters. Definitely 00:15:57.259 --> 00:16:01.000 impacts future campaigns. OK, one last quick 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:03.990 hit before we wrap up. looking way ahead to the 00:16:03.990 --> 00:16:07.210 2028 presidential cycle. Already. Governor Wes 00:16:07.210 --> 00:16:09.490 Moore, the Democrat from Maryland, he just did 00:16:09.490 --> 00:16:11.809 what's called a full Sherman. A full Sherman, 00:16:12.029 --> 00:16:14.429 meaning? Named after General Sherman's famous 00:16:14.429 --> 00:16:16.629 refusal, basically saying unequivocally, I am 00:16:16.629 --> 00:16:19.789 definitely not running. He was seen as a big 00:16:19.789 --> 00:16:23.629 rising star, maybe an Obama v 2 .0. So why bow 00:16:23.629 --> 00:16:26.830 out so definitively, so early? Sources point 00:16:26.830 --> 00:16:29.350 to the 2028 Democratic field looking absolutely 00:16:29.350 --> 00:16:32.669 brutal, just a very crowded. tough primary expected. 00:16:32.710 --> 00:16:34.730 Makes sense to maybe sit that one out if you're 00:16:34.730 --> 00:16:36.830 playing the long game. What else might be next 00:16:36.830 --> 00:16:39.409 for him? The analysis suggests other paths, maybe 00:16:39.409 --> 00:16:41.570 an ambassadorship run for Senate later, build 00:16:41.570 --> 00:16:43.710 his profile without jumping into that primary 00:16:43.710 --> 00:16:45.870 meat grinder right now. But is a full Sherman 00:16:45.870 --> 00:16:49.649 ever really final in politics? Huh. Probably 00:16:49.649 --> 00:16:51.809 not. The reports definitely leave the door open. 00:16:51.870 --> 00:16:53.610 He could still emerge as a running mate, pick 00:16:53.610 --> 00:16:57.269 down the line. Or maybe he becomes a symbol of 00:16:57.269 --> 00:17:00.110 the resistance to Trump, maybe clashes over issues 00:17:00.110 --> 00:17:02.870 in Baltimore, raises his profile that way. And 00:17:02.870 --> 00:17:04.589 finds himself back in the conversation later. 00:17:04.970 --> 00:17:07.910 Yes. A strategic pause, perhaps? Could be. Always 00:17:07.910 --> 00:17:10.470 playing the long game. Wow, okay, we have covered 00:17:10.470 --> 00:17:13.589 a ton of ground today. We really have. From that 00:17:13.589 --> 00:17:17.019 very revealing letter to... Big Supreme Court 00:17:17.019 --> 00:17:19.880 moves, economic headwinds, the whole Trump ego 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:22.400 protection thing, media shifts. Yeah, connecting 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:25.019 all those seemingly separate pieces. And what's 00:17:25.019 --> 00:17:27.160 fascinating, really, is seeing how it all interconnects, 00:17:27.259 --> 00:17:29.759 right? Legal rulings, the economy, political 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:32.519 personalities, how media shapes it all, it weaves 00:17:32.519 --> 00:17:35.299 together to create the moment we're in. Influencing 00:17:35.299 --> 00:17:37.359 you, the listener, in ways you might not even 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:39.779 immediately see. Absolutely. It's a complex picture. 00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:42.420 Which leaves us with a final thought for you 00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:45.740 to mull over. In this world absolutely flooded 00:17:45.740 --> 00:17:48.240 with information, with so many people actively 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:50.700 trying to shape the narrative, how do you figure 00:17:50.700 --> 00:17:53.440 out what's truly important? And what role does 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:55.819 your own informed perspective play in deciding 00:17:55.819 --> 00:17:58.319 what happens next? Something to think about. 00:17:58.819 --> 00:18:00.740 Definitely. Thanks for joining us on this deep 00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:00.940 dive.