WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:03.640 Today's presenting sponsor is simply Safe Home Security. It's August 2 00:00:03.799 --> 00:00:06.040 peak vacation season. You're sitting on a beach trying to 3 00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:08.320 completely forget about the news cycle for five minutes, but 4 00:00:08.359 --> 00:00:10.199 you can't actually relax, so you're staring at your phone 5 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:13.880 wondering if your house is secure. Unlike traditional security systems 6 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:16.120 that only alert you after a break in is already underway, 7 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:19.039 Simply Safe It's designed to help stop intruders before they 8 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:23.199 get inside. Smart AI powered outdoor cameras detect suspicious activity 9 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:26.320 the perimeter and alert live US based agents to step in. 10 00:00:26.920 --> 00:00:29.879 Simply Safe agents assess the threat intervening through the outdoor 11 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:32.159 camera at the scare offf trespassers, and call nine to 12 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:35.200 one to one dispatch. Our CEO, Lucinda now is a 13 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:37.880 simply Safe system in her home. She said the installation 14 00:00:37.960 --> 00:00:39.439 was quick and easy, and the system was up and. 15 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:40.200 Running in no time. 16 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:43.280 The app and all the components of it are super reliable, 17 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:45.679 and not only does Lucinda enjoy the peace of mind 18 00:00:45.880 --> 00:00:49.039 being protected by simply Safe, she also enjoys visits from 19 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:51.600 a squirrel who likes to say hi to the outdoor cameras. 20 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:52.439 So that's nice too. 21 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:55.399 Simply Safe has been protecting your world for twenty years. 22 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:58.560 Celebrate their anniversary and save sixty percent on your new 23 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:02.399 simply Safe system at simply safe dot com slash crooked. 24 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:05.719 That's sixty percent off. It's simplysafe dot com slash crooked 25 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:08.000 plus when you order, write in our show name in 26 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:09.959 the How did you hear about a survey to let 27 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:12.640 them know we sent you. Don't forget there's no safe 28 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:29.760 like simply Safe. 29 00:01:36.439 --> 00:01:37.640 Welcome top plid, Save America. 30 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:39.680 I'm John Fabr, I'm John Lovett, Tommy Veetor. 31 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:43.000 On today's show, the Iron ceasefire officially expires, just in 32 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.760 time for Iran to potentially escalate the war. We'll talk 33 00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:49.439 about Trump's strategy of doing nothing, his decision to take 34 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:52.599 out his frustration on South Korea, and his reaction to 35 00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:55.120 John Ossof saying that all the President wants to do 36 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:59.439 is quote, travel with Natalie. We'll also check in on 37 00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:03.959 the Senate map, specifically why Mary Paultola rejected Kamala Harris's endorsement, 38 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:07.879 and whether a stolen pen might help flip Texas. Then 39 00:02:07.959 --> 00:02:11.000 Tommy talks to Brian Poindexter, the union iron worker taking 40 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:14.919 on Max Miller in Ohio. Before we start, just a 41 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:17.840 reminder if you haven't subscribed already, please consider subscribing. To 42 00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:20.560 become a friend of the pod. You get AD free 43 00:02:20.599 --> 00:02:24.000 episodes of this show and all your favorite cricket shows 44 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:26.599 ad free. Plus you get a whole bunch of subscriber 45 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:29.879 only shows like our secret extra episode of Pods of 46 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.800 America called Only Friends, and Polar Coaster with Dan Pfeiffer 47 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:35.520 and Terminally Online. You get access to a bunch of 48 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:39.680 great substack newsletters, and you know, you get to support 49 00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:43.719 independent pro democracy media. So cricket dot com slash friends, 50 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:46.960 go subscribe if you haven't already. Okay, let's get to 51 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:53.000 the news. August seventeenth is love its birthday and wow 52 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:57.000 and the day that the MoU of Versailles officially died. 53 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:01.479 Happy fiftieth man, boy, Yes it's a big one. 54 00:03:01.560 --> 00:03:03.000 You do look a day over forty? 55 00:03:03.080 --> 00:03:03.879 Ye oh nice? 56 00:03:04.039 --> 00:03:04.599 Thank you guys. 57 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:09.039 This lighthearted ribbing, that's what friendship's all about. Here on 58 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:09.599 my birthday. 59 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:13.680 Now it's going to be in the history books. 60 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:16.639 I had a cupcake over the sink this morning before 61 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:17.319 coming into work. 62 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:19.159 Why'd you do that? Because it's Monday? 63 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:20.879 And it's your birthday. 64 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:23.919 I bring it in what I put a candle on it. Okay, 65 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:25.520 that's nice. 66 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:28.479 It was already there at least singing as well, or 67 00:03:28.599 --> 00:03:28.759 just you. 68 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:31.280 My friends brought over a cupcakes yesterday. 69 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:31.840 I just dated. 70 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:33.800 I left everyone on the sink in a shameful way 71 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:34.840 to celebrate the day. 72 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:36.599 That's all. Nothing wrong with that, Nothing wrong with that 73 00:03:36.599 --> 00:03:37.759 at all. It's tasty. 74 00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:42.039 Okay, well, happy birthday, thank you. The uh so, the 75 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:45.639 the MoU died, but it never really lived. The sixty 76 00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:48.919 day ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran wasn't much 77 00:03:48.919 --> 00:03:51.479 of a ceasefire. In fact, five Americans were killed during 78 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:54.599 that time, and it led to zero diplomatic progress on 79 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:57.439 opening the straight of horror moves or the fate of 80 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:00.639 Iran's nuclear program. The Wall Street Journal has a big 81 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:05.759 story about how intercepted communications show that Iran actually used 82 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:08.840 the last two months to prepare for a bigger, longer war, 83 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.840 including churning out more missiles and drones. Trump has used 84 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:15.719 the period to pretend the war wasn't happening, and on Monday, 85 00:04:15.719 --> 00:04:17.519 he said that he's not in a hurry to end it, 86 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:21.439 that Iran should raise quote the white flag of surrender, 87 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:25.079 and he told Fox News that he's considering quote bombing 88 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:28.160 the shit out of Oman if they get in the way. 89 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:32.240 He expanded on all this during a press avail in 90 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:34.600 the Oval on Monday last week. 91 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:36.560 You said that you would soon declare the Straight of 92 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:38.639 Horror Moves to be a territory of the United States. 93 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:40.199 Could you elaborate, WELLY. 94 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:42.560 Think it's a great idea. Yeah, I mean it. We 95 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:45.639 control it with the blockade. We have a blockade. We 96 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:49.519 control it with the blockade, and I like the idea 97 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:53.399 of declaring in a territory. We have total control over 98 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:55.800 the street. Now they can be a nuisance, They can 99 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:57.680 put a mine in the water, and people don't like 100 00:04:57.720 --> 00:04:59.600 having mindset. They have billion dollar ships. 101 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:02.480 You know this morning you said you would bomb the 102 00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:04.759 ass out of Oman if they got in the way 103 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:06.519 of reopening the Straight of Horror Moves. 104 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:08.920 Would you say you're out of patience with Oman? 105 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:13.680 A strategic behaved very well, But we handle them very easily, just. 106 00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:14.240 Like we do others. 107 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.439 Correct me if I'm wrong here. Didn't didn't The MoU 108 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:21.160 sort of set out that Oman was going to help 109 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:24.560 mediate talks with Iran about opening the straight. 110 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:27.360 I think Gatar was the mediator, but oman is who 111 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:31.000 he The Iranians and Omani's have been negotiating a deal 112 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:34.000 where they basically control the straight up hor moves and 113 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:37.240 charge fees. So apparently that's why he is mad at them. 114 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:40.600 Weren't they were? Are we? Are we allies with them 115 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:41.399 in some ways? 116 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:41.720 Yeah? 117 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:42.040 We don't. 118 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:43.680 We shouldn't be bombing them, that's all. 119 00:05:43.720 --> 00:05:44.680 That's what I was wondering. 120 00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:45.959 Yeah, no, we don't want to bomb them. 121 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:49.439 Yeah, they're sort of you know, oman Is Likeugh, we 122 00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:55.920 can't deal with these despotic, irrational, religious authoritarian zealots, so 123 00:05:55.959 --> 00:05:57.560 we'll have to just deal with Iran instead. 124 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:01.199 So I think most of us had forgotten that the 125 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.519 MoU even existed. It seems like there's a pretty concerning 126 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:08.560 gap between Iran strategic thinking and what an Atlantic piece 127 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:12.199 the other day called Trump's new strategy of nothing. Tell 128 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:13.839 me what do you think about where we are right now? 129 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:17.199 That journal piece was interesting because it it just got 130 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:20.360 at the fact that the Iranians had a strategy, they 131 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:23.680 had a plan for those two months. They don't trust Trump. 132 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:25.480 They don't trust him for good reason, because he pulled 133 00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:28.480 out the JCPOA and because the US and Israel kept 134 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:32.639 bombing them during talks, so they installed a bunch of hardliners, 135 00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:37.439 increased their military capacity, had conversations with the proxy groups, 136 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:40.879 and prepared them for more fighting while we did fuck 137 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:44.360 all there is. So Trump just has no path forward, 138 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:46.120 like he knows if he restarts the war it'll cost 139 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:46.839 him politically. 140 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:49.839 There's no way to bomb your way to victory here. 141 00:06:49.879 --> 00:06:52.160 He is completely stuck, so he just does these press 142 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:54.399 of ails where they get increasingly ridiculous, like now we're 143 00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:57.800 gonna we're gonna declare it a US territory like the 144 00:06:57.800 --> 00:06:58.680 Gulf of America. 145 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:00.240 We're back to that kind of path for. 146 00:07:00.199 --> 00:07:02.560 It, and as a way to pretend that we control 147 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:04.439 it when we don't. It's just like, it's also interesting 148 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:08.360 that he always he talks about the naval blockade as 149 00:07:08.439 --> 00:07:11.319 if that's what keeps is keeping the straight open, even 150 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.480 though the strait is not open and we don't control it. 151 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:16.480 But he's somehow, he's somehow trying to confuse people by 152 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.279 saying that the naval blockade that we have overran is 153 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:21.560 what it means that we control this straight. 154 00:07:22.199 --> 00:07:24.439 He just doesn't want to deal with it. He doesn't 155 00:07:24.439 --> 00:07:26.199 want to deal with it because he doesn't like there's 156 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:29.560 no there. He doesn't like his options. He doesn't like 157 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:32.240 the option of escalation. He doesn't like the option of 158 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:35.240 accepting a deal that's worse than the Obama era deal, 159 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:37.800 if that's even on the table at this point. So 160 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:40.319 he just wants everyone to stop talking about it, and 161 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:43.319 when it comes up, oh that we're in control of 162 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:45.360 it and we won and it's good and they lost 163 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:47.759 and they're crazy, but we'll see, and then on to 164 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:51.600 the next topic. Like there's no strategy. He just doesn't 165 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:53.519 want to deal with it, wants to focus on the ballroom. 166 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:56.319 I thought the Journal story was interesting too, because I 167 00:07:56.319 --> 00:07:58.240 think we've been talking for a while about how this 168 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:00.439 could just end up being like, you know, aorn just 169 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:02.279 keeps controlling the straight and we'd all just kind of 170 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:04.399 muddle along and Trump doesn't know what to do. But 171 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:06.920 it sounds like they like they were talking about the 172 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:09.319 various ways they could escalate the war and what they're 173 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:14.600 thinking about preemptive strikes, sabotage of undersea internet cables in 174 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:18.199 the Gulf, stirring unrest in Kuwait and Bahrain, and possibly 175 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:19.680 ground operations in Kuwait. 176 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:22.040 What the Iranians want to avoid as a scenario where 177 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:25.240 every six to twelve months the US or Israel bombs them, 178 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:29.079 you know, whether it's regime change, decapitation strikes, you know, 179 00:08:29.160 --> 00:08:31.519 hitting their missile sites, hitting their oil and gas infrastructure. 180 00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:35.600 They want to increase the cost so that the US 181 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:38.320 and Israel think twice about doing this. And the strategy 182 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:40.799 they've hit on for doing that has been pretty smart, 183 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:43.879 which is bombing all these US military installations in countries 184 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:49.840 like Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and increasing the cost 185 00:08:49.879 --> 00:08:51.960 not only for US, but for those other countries and 186 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:55.840 the Gulf. And you know, they've executed it pretty well and. 187 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:57.200 It seems to have been pretty effective. 188 00:08:57.240 --> 00:08:58.879 And so you're seeing like the Amoradis seem to be 189 00:08:58.919 --> 00:09:02.840 cutting side deals with the Iranians to create an off ramp, 190 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:05.039 and I think others are pretty soon going to be 191 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:06.600 looking to do the same thing because like they don't 192 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:09.279 want to, they don't want to NonStop constant war. 193 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:12.279 I mean a Tayaran defense analysts close to the government 194 00:09:12.360 --> 00:09:14.720 the regime in Iran told the journal that the main 195 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:18.559 war in the Iranian view has not yet begun, so 196 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:20.320 that's that's something to look forward to. 197 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:21.679 Huh. 198 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:24.639 The other the other part of it too is having 199 00:09:24.840 --> 00:09:27.399 US bases, having the US military present was meant to 200 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:30.279 be kind of a bulwark or defense, like look at 201 00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.879 how look at the security provided by Americans being on 202 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:36.320 on our soil. But now it's been the opposite. It's 203 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:38.799 drying all these attacks and then you know, oh, but 204 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:42.559 the US is our partner, but it's an completely unreliable 205 00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:46.080 partner Oman we have trade agreement with and we're threatening 206 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:48.080 to bomb them off the face of the earth. 207 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:50.480 So the reasons we can't quite understand. 208 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:57.279 Yeah, the only I understand why why Iran would want 209 00:09:57.320 --> 00:10:00.240 to signal that they'd be willing to escalate. But I 210 00:10:00.279 --> 00:10:02.919 can't imagine they're particularly unhappy with a status quo that 211 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:03.960 looks like this either. 212 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:07.000 Yeah, I mean I think is to terns. I think 213 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:08.440 they're prime to prevent gett attacked again. 214 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:09.919 But like we just to. 215 00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:12.720 Remember, the Iran Iraq war lasted for eight years and 216 00:10:12.759 --> 00:10:15.559 it was like grueling in you know, millions Somemoi people died. 217 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:20.600 And the Iranians they live there, that's where their country 218 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:22.399 is located. It's on the straight of four moves. Like 219 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:24.159 they know that Trump is going to give up and 220 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:27.039 move on and get distracted and do something else, and 221 00:10:27.159 --> 00:10:29.440 they're not going to and so that's just, you know, 222 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:30.639 they think they're planning for time. 223 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:33.600 Well, here's one thing that's distracting him. The biggest news 224 00:10:33.639 --> 00:10:35.480 out of the Oval Office event was Trump confirming that 225 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:38.919 he ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises 226 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:41.799 with South Korea, which were scheduled to start on Monday. 227 00:10:42.120 --> 00:10:44.600 In a truth social post on Sunday, Trump said he 228 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:47.759 thought the exercises were too expensive and a danger to 229 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:51.559 quote his very good relationship with Kim Jong un. In 230 00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:53.519 the Oval on Monday, he hinted that he's spoken to 231 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:55.279 Kim in the last couple of days and made it 232 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:58.279 clear why he's really pissed at South Korea. 233 00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:02.240 When I called recent the president of South Korea, who 234 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:05.159 I like. I think he's very nice actually, but I 235 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:06.720 called him, I said, would you like to give us 236 00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:09.200 a little hand. We don't need help with Ran, but 237 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:12.159 if you'd like give us a head with Arran. He 238 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:15.879 said no, thanks, And I said, we have thirty nine 239 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:20.200 thousand soldiers over there guarding you from Kim Jong un, 240 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:23.799 your next door neighbor, and you're not going to help 241 00:11:23.879 --> 00:11:28.679 us on a very easy military operation in Iran. We 242 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:32.960 can't go around and protect all of these countries, especially 243 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:34.279 when they're not there to help us. 244 00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:36.639 Tommy, can you explain what's going on with what the 245 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:39.080 joint exercises and whether this is a big deal. 246 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:40.720 So we have a lot of troops on the Korean 247 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:43.519 peninsula is twenty eighty five hundred, and I've had a 248 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:46.159 mutual defense treaty in place with the Korean since like 249 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:49.720 the nineteen fifties, and so we do these annual exercises. 250 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:51.480 Actually two is one in the spring and the one 251 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:52.559 in the late summer. 252 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:55.720 And they are basically drills to deal with the threat 253 00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:56.399 from North Korea. 254 00:11:56.440 --> 00:11:58.279 And they've been described to me by experts is actually 255 00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:00.639 pretty important because there's a lot of turnover, especially in 256 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:02.320 the South Korean military, and so you need to have 257 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:04.960 people like have some experience doing these things. And also 258 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:09.039 battlefield tactics are constantly changing. The North Koreans just sent 259 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:11.840 a bunch of troops to the front in Ukraine to 260 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:13.879 fight on behalf of Russia, and so they're learning how 261 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:16.480 to use drones and electronic warfare and all these sort 262 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:20.080 of modern systems and tools that you need to just understand. 263 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:24.320 So the North Koreans, understandably, I think, hate these drills 264 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:26.000 because they view it as a pretext to some sort 265 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:29.039 of invasion of their country. And that's kind of been 266 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:32.360 the status quo. And so something triggered Trump over the weekend. 267 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:34.960 I don't know what it was, because he tweeted a 268 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:39.080 photo of himself with Kim Jong un out of nowhere, 269 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:42.320 as one does, and then the next day he said 270 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:44.840 he put out this post about wanting to scale down 271 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:47.559 the exercises, but put out the statement like, as the 272 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:49.840 exercises were about to start, so to the extent you're 273 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:51.320 scaling them down, I don't think you're saving a lot 274 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:53.519 of money, because like the military hardware is going to 275 00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:56.559 be in place. The message, as you said, was basically like, 276 00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:59.440 if you won't help us with our little non proliferation problem, 277 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:01.840 we won't help you with your little nuclear weapons problem 278 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:05.840 on the Korean peninsula. I don't think that is a 279 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:09.120 particularly rational way forward, but it's you know, Trump, and 280 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:11.519 it's filled with peak. He also said that the North 281 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:15.759 Koreans had been respectful. They're unthreatening and respectful. This came 282 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:17.960 a couple of days after the North Koreans fired a 283 00:13:17.960 --> 00:13:19.879 ballistic missile off into the ocean. 284 00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:21.600 Like a second test in under a week. 285 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:23.960 Yeah, they've done like like I think eleven or sixteen 286 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:25.320 of them this year. So it's you know, not the 287 00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:29.360 most respectful move. And Kim Jungun's position when it comes 288 00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:32.200 to resuming talks with the United States with Trump is 289 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:34.519 that we first have to recognize them as a nuclear state. 290 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:38.559 So that's a pretty strident position in my view. So again, 291 00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:40.480 I think it's like a combination of this old hobby 292 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:42.720 horse where he doesn't know why we you know, have 293 00:13:42.840 --> 00:13:44.080 troops in the Korean peninsula. 294 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:47.559 It doesn't think it's worth the cost. Plus, he's bitchy. 295 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:49.720 That's South Korea didn't help us with this stupid war 296 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:52.200 with Iran, and now maybe it's an effort to get 297 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:55.679 diplomacy going with the North Koreans, although I don't know why. 298 00:13:55.720 --> 00:13:57.679 He also said in that oval that Kim had gotten 299 00:13:57.720 --> 00:13:58.440 back to him. 300 00:13:58.679 --> 00:13:59.399 Yeah he did. 301 00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:02.759 Applied, He finally did out right, Yes, but he did 302 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:04.840 one of these little teasing pauses. 303 00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:07.200 First, right, Yeah, like it's very well, they won't they 304 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:09.440 talk about like, you know, Iran has some kind of 305 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:12.720 a strategy like the US has now involved itself in 306 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:17.320 this newest quagmire in the Middle East. If the president 307 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:20.879 were focused on the US and its long term strategic 308 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:24.519 imperatives and that was his main goal and all that 309 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:26.799 was on his mind was the good of the country 310 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:29.440 over over time and our allies, you might want to 311 00:14:29.480 --> 00:14:32.759 signal something like what is happening in the Middle East 312 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:36.559 has absolutely no bearing on our ability to protect our 313 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:40.080 allies in Asia, right that that we are able to 314 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:45.519 wage whatever war we're waging against Iran while maintaining protection 315 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:49.120 for South Korea, while protecting Taiwan, while continuing to kind 316 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:54.279 of perform the role that the US performs as a 317 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:58.600 kind of defense against sort of Chinese aggression. Like that, 318 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:01.440 that would be something that a traditional foreign policy of 319 00:15:01.480 --> 00:15:05.080 either administration would signal, right, But instead he's like, because 320 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:07.639 of the war in Iran, our relationship with South Korea 321 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:09.960 is worse than ever. We are less likely to protect them, 322 00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:12.120 right and oh, because we got this ship out there 323 00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:14.039 for so long, We're gonna take another ship that's in 324 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:16.000 the Pacific and we're gonna send that over to Iran 325 00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:18.720 because we actually are going to tie these two conflicts 326 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:21.559 together that makes us weaker in both places. Terrific. 327 00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:22.720 I think that's great. 328 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:25.879 Yeah, And I don't want any more microchips from Taiwan anyway. 329 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:27.960 I'm all set so poor. 330 00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:30.279 The Koreans are suffering because of the war, and Iran 331 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:32.600 because they get like sixty seventy percent of their oil 332 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:34.720 through the straight of horm moves. So we're screwing over 333 00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:36.519 all these countries in Asia to begin with. 334 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:39.519 It's also like, how could you not help us in 335 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:41.519 this war that we decided. 336 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:43.120 To launch on our own without telling you. 337 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:46.759 Without telling you, for no good reason, that has accomplished 338 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:49.519 absolutely nothing, but has hurt the rest of the world. 339 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:52.039 Especially and by the way, where I said even in 340 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:55.279 this sentence, we don't need your help, it's like, you know, 341 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:57.679 Korea is coming over for dinner, and like Trump's like, 342 00:15:57.799 --> 00:16:02.600 you don't need to bring a thing. Where's the fucking wine. 343 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:07.200 So, as you mentioned, the Navy pulled its last carrier 344 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:12.279 out of Asia to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which 345 00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:14.759 he was also asked about in the Oval. This is 346 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:17.600 the aircraft carrier that's been in the Middle East since November, 347 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:21.320 and the conditions have been so horrible and there's also 348 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:24.159 reports that at least two sailors tried to take their 349 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:28.960 own lives by jumping overboard. When asked on Friday whether 350 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:33.080 the deployment had gone on too long, Trump said no, no, no, 351 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:38.799 not nearly long enough. Here's how we responded on Monday 352 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.759 in the Oval, they were another food on. 353 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:41.679 The USS Lincoln. 354 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:46.960 Yeah, that was a CNN fake report. The Lincoln has 355 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:51.639 been out there for a period of time, good period 356 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:53.960 of time, but over the years, we've had him out 357 00:16:53.960 --> 00:16:57.080 there much longer at a group meeting. 358 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:59.279 In an a fake news story. So Pete Hagsath said 359 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:02.840 the situation had been completely misrepresented in the Commander of 360 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:05.759 centcom Admiral Brad Cooper, visited the ship over the weekend 361 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:07.640 and wrote in The Wall Street Journal that the stories 362 00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:10.720 about shortages of food and water were old news and 363 00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:14.480 had been addressed. So it is a different statement, very 364 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:17.039 much so. So it seems pretty clear they're in damage 365 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:19.200 control mode here. What do you guys think about this story? 366 00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:20.519 How how bad is this for them? 367 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:25.440 Love it having all a ship full of people slowly 368 00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:28.279 losing their mind because they're on one of the longest 369 00:17:28.279 --> 00:17:30.799 deployments ever I think now maybe the longest deployment ever 370 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:32.160 of a ship like this. 371 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:35.839 Yeah, they're going for the records set by the Gerald R. 372 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:38.880 Ford three hundred and twenty six days in Vietnam. 373 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:41.839 They're so close, They're so close, so close. Yeah, sort 374 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:47.079 of a worthy record to beat. And it matters that 375 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:49.200 it's not a war that was approved by Congress, that 376 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:52.680 the majority of the country wishes we weren't fighting, that 377 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:55.200 has no real goal, that has no sign of ending. 378 00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:57.440 Would be one thing if it was a it was 379 00:17:57.480 --> 00:18:02.279 a grateful nation asking these service members to sacrifice on 380 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:06.559 behalf of a cause that we all collectively endorse. Sort 381 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:09.519 of a grave decision to send people there for months 382 00:18:09.559 --> 00:18:12.559 on end. But that's not what happened. And they know that, 383 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:15.079 right The people on the ship are aware of the 384 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:16.960 fact that this is unpopular. They don't know why the 385 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:20.440 fuck they're there, and it's awful. And then you have 386 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:23.480 hag Seth caring more about the press and Trump pretending 387 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:27.240 it's not happening, and it's disgraceful. And Trump has never 388 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:28.839 had a lot of respect for people who serve in 389 00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:31.039 the military. Sometimes he pretends to, but he finds the 390 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.799 whole thing a bit embarrassing and confusing. I think he 391 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:38.759 finds the idea of people sacrificing themselves and giving something 392 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:43.000 of themselves without ego, showing discipline and a sense of 393 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:46.119 purpose and mission kind of embarrassing to him because he's 394 00:18:46.119 --> 00:18:49.400 never experienced those feelings and it comes out over and 395 00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:50.599 over and over again. 396 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.200 So the Lincoln's been at sea more than two hund 397 00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:55.559 and fifty days, but no port call in two hundred days, 398 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:59.279 I think because the Iranians hit the base they would 399 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:01.519 have used in Bob, so they've had to just be 400 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:02.079 out at sea. 401 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:03.920