Let's continue now a Senator JD. Vans live from Washington, d C.
And Senator Vans, welcome again to the Bill Cunningham Show. Senator, first
of all, you've been there now about six months, and unlike others who
are politicians that go in, they go up the ladder again in the city
council, good to county commissioner might become the congressman then a US senator.
You kind of came horizontally, insida vertically, which is a good thing.
I wish more people came horizontally. Well, what has amazed you, surprised
you and caused angst in the last six months or six months into it?
You know where the bathroom is now? And what have you found surprising about
the US Senate here? There are a few things any First, on the
good side, Willie, it's certainly possible to get things done. You know,
you have colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are interested in cutting
deals and making sure legislation actually moves, and that of course makes it possible
for me to get things done for the people of Ohio. That's that's really
important. But the second thing, it's sort of distressingly and I think this
is one of the reasons why I had a lot of my Republican colleagues did
not like the Kevin McCarthy dead ceiling deal of a couple of weeks ago,
is that not enough people pay attention to the deal, the details. So
if you look at some of the top line things, for example, out
of that legislation, they sound pretty good, you know, the first time
we've had spinning cuts in a couple of decades, some real efforts to rain
in some of the worst parts of the Biden administration. But if you look
at the actual legislative text, it gives a Bide administration a ton of power
to waive some of the most important provisions. So you do some good things,
but then you give Joe Biden unilateral authority to waive it. You've got
to pay attention to the details. And that certainly think that's something I take
from my private sector experience, and I think that a few more folks on
Capitol Hill should learn. Last night, I had a question to you,
and I told my caller last night, I'd ask you this question about East
Palestine, and that is that you were the one senator that was physically present.
I don't think Joe Biden never showed up there, and you had this
demonstration where you dropped a little rock or some object in to a creek and
suddenly the stuff bubbled up that looked awful. Where several months away from the
incident, and my caller last night from Western Pennsylvania said, we are thoughts
are being confirmed and that largely we're being ignored right now. And I talked
about with Senator DeWine. I'm sorry, Governor DeWine and done with the Ohio
Health Department. So for that caller who might be listening, what is happening
this afternoon, what's going to happen this week and next week? And East
Palestine relative to the train derelment, well, I give a lot of credit
to the Ohio Department of Health for continuing to monitor the situation there, But
we have some long term issues that we're gonna have to stay on top of.
The biggest concern that I have, Willie, and I've got a single
full time staff member who just works on this particular issue for me, is
that we were really worried that the long term health consequences of this thing will
not become clear for many years, maybe even a decade out from the accident.
If you think about the perspective of the people living in the area,
they're not worried they're going to drink the water and drop dead two days later.
They're worried about what happens after ten years of exposure, and there's no
way to know the answer unless you actually do the long term studying. The
crazy thing that I've won Willie, there is no organized in our federal government
to think about massive It is a six trillion dollars a year that we spend
on it. There is no organization that is able that is equipped to measure
the long term health consequences of some of these exposures. So that's what I'm
most focused on. The second thing that we're really worried about is just making
sure it gets cleaned up. So set it aside the long term health consequences.
You've got to get toxic chemicals out of these palacine into proper disposal facilities.
I think we are close to being done with that cleanup work, hopefully
by the end of the month. It's taken longer than it should have done,
but I think without us continuing to hammer the situation there, it may
not have gotten done at all. I watched some of the CEOs and town
hall meetings that you attended, and the Norfolk Southern CEO beat around the bush
about ying out the town because many people, I can't imagine selling your home
right now in East Palestine, I would imagine you can't sell it. And
so as a consequence, what's happened to the promises of the railroad to make
whole again those injured by this, Well, even if you can sell it,
well, you're gonna sell it for way less than it was worth before.
You know, Norfolk Southern set off a chemical bomb in your town,
right So that's the big problem here is these folks are going to suffer economic
consequences totally aside from the health problems. For a long time, you know,
we we have worked to try to ensure is that either the federal government
if it has to, or certainly Norfolk Southern on the first order, should
be picking up the costs for people who lose their livelihoods, to lose their
homes, lose their small businesses, or to your point, if they want
to sell their house get out of East Palestine, that Norfolk Southern will recoup
the loss they have promised to us that they will provide resources to the people
of East Palestine. And what we've learned the hardware is we're just gonna have
to stay on top of them. We're gonna have to continue to talk to
the people on the ground. Sometimes we talk to people and they'll tell us,
look, Norfolk Sovia did exactly what they said they would do. Sometimes
we talk to people and they'll tell us Norfolk Southern hasn't. And so in
those cases you have to keep doing the work and make sure that Norfolk Shovin
is keeping its promise to people. So it's case by case. Sometimes they
are, sometimes they aren't, and that's how we've handled it. Have you
interacted with Senator Diane Feinstein and Senator John Fetterman and are they mentally competent?
You know, John Fetterman is obviously he is going to have long term health
problems. My sense is that he can't communicate very well, but he can
he is fundamentally mentally there. Look, I have some serious concerns about Nan
Feinstein. I think it's ridiculous what they're doing. If you look at just
some of the things that she has said publicly, it's pretty clear I think
that she doesn't know what's going on, that she herself isn't totally sure what
she's doing from day to day. She very clearly has serious health problems.
And look, this is not a Democrat or Republican issue. To me,
this is basic human compassion. And I don't think that people who are represented
by Diane Finstlend and I don't think Finstein herself are well served by what's going
on. It's it's pretty sick. About a half an hour ago ahead on
Sheriff Richard K. Jones Butler County. Of course, you grew up in
Butler County. Now you live in Hamlet and County. As far as what's
happening with a Donald Trump indictment, what is your take on Donald Trump?
Should he have been charged and should he be the nominee of the Republican Party?
What is your take on the indictment by Jack Smith, a Democratic special
prosecutor against Donald Trump. Well, so I'm endorsed Donald Trump willing. I'm
not changing my endorsement, certainly, not because of this and not because of
anything else that I've seen. So I'm firmly behind Trump. I think he's
the best candidate for us to win the general election. I also think he's
going to be the best president when he wins. But I would make this
pitch to people or not Donald Trump fans, whether they're conservatives or moderates or
liberals. What's going on here is fundamentally a political prosecution, and this should
bother you, even if you don't like the guy at the center of it.
Sets inside your feelings about Donald Trump. This is about the American system
of law. Two issues that I would point out here Willie why I think
this is a huge mistake for the Department of Justice to go down this pathway.
First of all, I don't think that Donald Trump committed a crime for
the very simple reason that he has the right under Article two of the US
Constitution to control the documents of the executive branch. That's all he did.
We're talking about whether he misplaced papers, whether he stole papers. And my
contention is, as the president of the United States, if he doesn't control
the papers of his ocean and the bureaucracy does, we don't have a real
president. We have a functionary And because the Constitution gives that authority to the
president, he fundamentally should not have been prosecuted, but set that to the
side. So you disagree with my constitutional here, and you think that Donald
Trump committed a crime. I don't think that he did, But say you
did. If you only prosecute the Republicans who mishandle classified information, and you
don't go go after Joe Biden, and you don't go after Hillary Clinton,
if you don't go after the number of Bill Clinton and many Democrats who did
this, you do not have equal justice under law. You have politics masquerading
as justice. And that's exactly what we have in this case. In the
matter of Navy versus Egan, nineteen eighty eight Supreme Court case, Justice Harry
Blackman wrote that, quote, the president's ability to classify or declassify and control
access the national security information flows in the constitution itself. He decides, he
alone decides, quote unquote, doesn't that mean that as the president? While
he was the president? And he says he did declassify all the documents that
went to Marrow Lago, there is no crime. That's exactly what I think,
Willie. And here's the thing what people have pushed back on. So
the pushback you will hear from the left is they allegedly have an audio recording
of Trump saying I could have declassified, but I didn't. Well, first
of all, let's pump the brakes here. I've heard a lot of selective
leaks from the Justice Department the last few years that have not proven out to
be true. So don't take their word of face value. But what Trump
said in twenty one or twenty two about his declassification doesn't matter. Even if
he said that, that fundamentally is not the issue. The question is what
did Trump do as president. We know as president he put these documents in
boxes, he made the move to take them tomorrow lago. He clearly treated
them as declassified documents and as personal effects. His actions as president matter of
hell a lot more than his words as the former president. I believe he
declassified those documents. I believe it's the only reasonable interpretation. And because of
that, this prosecution is a sham. And because they are unanimous. United
States Supreme Court decision said exactly the same thing. You can't have a bureaucrat
determining in the bowels of the Archives Office what is and what is not national
security matter. The president decided it, it's over now. Lastly, the
ucrat. Go ahead, go ahead, Senator. Well, this is is
such an important point, Willie, that I want to build upon it.
They just take one issue where even the New York Times is sort of on
the side of Donald Trump. We know that he made certain decisions as commander
in chief where the generals, Mark Million particular, undercut his decisions. Now
ask yourself the question the documentation of those decisions. It's fundamentally something we want
the President of the United States to control, not the bureaucrats. If the
bureaucrats can undercut the president and men control the documentation that shows what they did,
we do not have a president. We have a symbol at the head
of our government controlled by the deep state. This cannot stand, Willie.
It's fundamentally weakened. The people elected president, Democrat or Republican. The president
has to make these decisions, not the bureaucracy. Senator Vans Ukraine, You've
been strong on this subject matter this morning. According to Zelinsky, that the
counter offensive has begun. Of course, the southern part of Ukraine is now
completely flooded. At some point soon I would imagine the nuclear power plants will
be exposed. There's hundreds of thousands that are dead, and I want Russia
to lose. I think Vladimir and Putin is a mass murderer, he's an
extortionist, he's a killer. He's gonna rust for eternity in the bows of
hell. But on the other hand, can you tell the American people,
what is our interest in the Ukraine if it would spark World War three?
Well, we have no interest it would spark World War three. World War
three is preventing it as much more important than any interest we have in the
Ukraine. That simple, Willie, and that can't be repeated enough. Look,
I root for the Ukrainians too. I think they're obviously an admirable and
heroic people. But the Ukrainian people is fundamentally a separate question from what we
should be doing in this regional conflict. What we don't talk about about,
Willie, is the risk of nuclear war. Good point, Yes, the
risk of this spiraling into a broader regional conflict. Look at food and fuel
prices in Europe. Look at the fact that some of our friendliest governments in
places like Poland and Hungry, important allies of the United States, their governments
are being destabilized because of the inflation caused by this war. We're not talking
about their refugee crisis, the hundreds of thousands of innocent people that have been
killed, the millions that have been displaced. The national interests of the United
States is to turn all of that off and depress for peace with all of
the diplomatic power that we have. It's the great failure of the Biden administration.
I hate to say it way too many Republicans that instead of pushing for
piece, we have constantly pushed for escalation. If we keep on escalating,
this is going to become World War three. It's a disaster waiting to happen.
And the more that we stay away from the path of peace, the
more we endanger the future of this planet for our children grandchildren. Zelinski says
he needs a trillion dollars to rebuild Ukraine. Is the American taxpayer going to
pay that? Well, Willie, I'm sure as hell hoped on, because
I think that if I'm going to spend a trillion dollars, then I'd rather
spend it on things like a border wall, on solving the fit in all
crisis, on ensuring a good education for the children of American citizens, and
on so many other priorities. Our country comes first, and I think it's
kind of sick that our leaders can't acknowledge that basic fact. Well, we
have to run. But Senator JD. Vans, I'm glad you kept a
common touch there in Washington. I would note we haven't touched on transgender rides.
For our little boys and girls being indoctrinated with sexual issues when they're seven,
eight, nine years old, I know your view on that, But
nonetheless, there's also shocking allegations that it appears there's more to come to light
soon on the Jeffrey Epstein matter, which God knows the big time the Grand
Pooba is involved in Jeffrey Epstein on Lolita Island. I can't imagine when that
comes out. Goes right now, one of the JP Morgan companies are going
to pay almost three hundred million dollars to settle the Jeffrey Epstein accusers lawsuit so
the names can never become public. Three hundred million dollars. And understand some
of the big names mentioned include Bill Gates, etc. And it's disgusting that
we have this stuff going on, and in the land of freedom and opportunity,
we can find out whether the Clintons are involved directly or indirectly, or
Bill Gates or god knows who else. So maybe down the road we can
find out, But right now this is settlement announced of almost three hundred million
dollars on condition the accusers remain quiet. What's your view on that one.
Well, look, it's crazy, and we know without a shadow of doubt.
I mean, it's admitted, it's public record that Bill Clinton was on
the famous Epstein Island, and look, we don't know what happened there,
but we know that sometimes there were some sexual assaults of children going on their
actual pedophilia. Yeah, so let's sort of step back and appreciate that we
don't know what our former pressent was doing on an island where children were sexually
exploited. The fact that is that one of the most important stories in the
country makes me realize we have a very corrupt media. But we need to
get to the bottom of this. It's crazy, it's disgusting, and unfortunately
Willie way too many of our leaders appear caught up in it. And we
care a lot about the papers, pieces of paper and mar Lago. That's
the big story. I mean, every day, day after day, Senator
JD. Vans, you're a great American and thank you for coming on the
Bill Cunningham Show. Thank you, Senator, thank you. WELLOK, God
bless you, God bless America. Let's continue with more line becomes available five
win, three, seven, four, nine, seven thousand. My comments
are next. All in News Radio seven hundred WLW