WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:01.960 You're the one who said that broccoli is good. I 2 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:02.600 believe it. 3 00:00:03.799 --> 00:00:06.480 Even George H. W. Bush, I'm a real squash. Even 4 00:00:06.519 --> 00:00:09.720 George H. W. Bush hated bly right for the left 5 00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:10.400 of him. 6 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:16.359 Ask not what your country can do for you, Ask 7 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:18.359 what you can do for your country. 8 00:00:19.079 --> 00:00:22.879 Mister Gorbachoff, tear down this wall. 9 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:27.679 It's the Ricochet Podcast with Charles C. W. Cook and 10 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:30.480 Steven Hayward and myself James Lillas. Today we talked to 11 00:00:30.519 --> 00:00:33.719 our old friend Anny McCarthy about the cabinet nominations and 12 00:00:33.799 --> 00:00:35.920 more so, let's have ourselves a podcast. 13 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:39.079 It comes to the selection of Representative Gates. I just 14 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:41.880 think it's silly. I believe that the President is probably 15 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:46.079 rewarding him for being such a loyal soldier to the president. 16 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:48.719 But the President is smart enough and his team is 17 00:00:48.759 --> 00:00:50.840 smart enough to know that mister Gates will never get 18 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:51.920 confirmed by the Center. 19 00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:54.920 We will have so much winning if I get elected 20 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:57.280 that you may get bored with winning. 21 00:00:58.200 --> 00:00:58.799 Believe me. 22 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:04.439 Welcome, It's the Ricochet Podcast, number seven hundred and seventeen. 23 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.879 I'm James Lilacs on a beautiful crisp fall day in 24 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:11.439 November in Minnesota, and I'm joined by Charles C. W. 25 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:11.959 Cook. 26 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:15.519 I presume in Florida, and Stephen Hayward, Lord knows where 27 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:18.319 you are. Where have events taken you today? 28 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:21.000 I'm in Washington, D C. At the Annual Conference of 29 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:21.920 the Federal Society. 30 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:23.840 Ah, you were in the thick of it. You are 31 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:27.280 in the belly, yes, Brant, or you're in coreus Gant. Great, Well, 32 00:01:27.319 --> 00:01:29.239 we'll get to what the capital is doing and how 33 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:32.200 you are. I assume you've taken a cab driver a 34 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:35.120 cab and have some wisdom to impart from the cab driver, 35 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:39.439 since that's every columnists cliche. 36 00:01:38.519 --> 00:01:39.159 But not really. 37 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:42.280 You know, the cab driving population here, as I think 38 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:43.719 you know, is overwhelmingly foreign. 39 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:46.159 They do tend to listen to NPR a lot. 40 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:49.480 I noticed when I ride around Washington with the cabs, 41 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:52.599 and so I generally shy away from trying to play 42 00:01:52.599 --> 00:01:53.640 Tom Friedman in the cab. 43 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:56.040 Right when I lived there, it was an influx of 44 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:58.640 Afghan doctors for some reason. Every single cab driver I 45 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:01.799 had was a neurosurgeon from cow. All right, gentlemen, here's 46 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:03.599 my theory. I'm going to toss it out. Hear me out. 47 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:05.719 Trump has been playing a long game, and the reason 48 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:07.640 that he ran for the presidency in the first place 49 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:09.879 was not because he got to pickle up his posterior 50 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:13.680 when they needled him at the correspondence. Genner no as 51 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:17.080 a devote of McDonald's food. This is all about using 52 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:21.240 his power to bring back frying French fries in beef tallow. 53 00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:24.439 And that's why the RFK appointment is in there. RFK 54 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:26.759 is going to say that what we've done to our 55 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:30.599 food is an abomination, and at a minimum, we should 56 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:33.719 go back to frying our French fries in beef tallow 57 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:34.680 because they're better. 58 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:36.960 So we have all these. 59 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:41.080 Cabinet denominations, some of which landed a little bit better 60 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:44.280 than others. Is there anyone particular that you guys find out, 61 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:47.879 I mean, RFK, we want to have a talk about floridation. Okay, 62 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:50.120 we can have a talk about floridation after all these years. 63 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:54.639 But going back on the idea of vaccines being a 64 00:02:54.759 --> 00:02:58.120 useful tool to prevent disease in children and otherwise seems 65 00:02:58.439 --> 00:03:02.199 a conversation that we could maybe not have for a while. 66 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:05.080 Take up seed oils if you want, take up high 67 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:06.879 fruit toast corn syrup. 68 00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:06.960 If you like. 69 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:09.879 But let's let's not do the vaccine thing. 70 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:12.360 Or you should go first on this. 71 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:16.439 One, on Rfkjunior or in general. 72 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:18.960 In general, you pick a nomination, Who do you like, 73 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:20.639 who do you not? I mean, we're going to talk 74 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:22.680 We got Anny McCarthy coming up, and we're going to 75 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.199 talk about Matt in a bit, so take that one 76 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:26.479 off the table for a well. 77 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:29.240 I think that the good nominations have been very very good, 78 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:32.840 and the bad nominations have been very very bad. If 79 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:37.439 I can't talk about Matt Gates, I'll talk about RFK Jr. 80 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:38.719 Who's a crank. 81 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:41.120 And the argument for him is based on the logical 82 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:44.840 fallacy that because HHS is a disaster and the public 83 00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:47.919 health establishment has disgraced itself, both of which are true, 84 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:54.960 we therefore should are obliged to put in someone awful 85 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:58.599 into a department of the federal government, the controls I 86 00:03:58.599 --> 00:04:02.439 think twenty percent of the entire budget. I don't think 87 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:06.840 it's a secret that I am one of URFK Junior's 88 00:04:06.840 --> 00:04:10.360 biggest critics. I think there is very little redeeming about him, 89 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:14.080 and what is redeeming doesn't particularly intersect with HHS, that 90 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:14.719 being his. 91 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:18.439 Desire to make. 92 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:22.800 America healthy, which is fine. Broccoli is good, root loops 93 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:25.600 are bad for you. But I don't need to hand 94 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:30.439 over twenty percent of the federal government to Kennedy to 95 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:34.720 make those reforms. And I'll finish by saying, I think 96 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:38.120 that even those people who wish to see wholesale changes 97 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:40.959 in that area I'm not opposed to that would be 98 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:45.360 better served by choosing somebody better. Not that he's available, 99 00:04:45.399 --> 00:04:47.959 but someone like a Ron DeSantis really could go in 100 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:50.879 there and shake things up. I think RFK Junior, if 101 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:52.240 he gets through the nomination, will not. 102 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:55.920 Charles, I would have disagree with you about this because 103 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:57.680 I don't think that broccoli is good. As a matter 104 00:04:57.720 --> 00:04:57.959 of fact. 105 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:00.879 I think it's yeah, and I think loops are awesome. 106 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:02.120 But that's me, Stephen. 107 00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:03.519 What do you like and what are you not? 108 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:04.639 Well? 109 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:09.920 I think well, I agree with Charles that RFK is 110 00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:13.160 a dubious appointment at best. If he were, you know, 111 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:16.040 supposedly he was on the list of possible EPA directors 112 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:19.759 under Obama back in two thousand and nine, and if 113 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:23.240 he or Biden Obama Biden had put RFK in the cabinet, 114 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:27.199 I think our team would be appalled, opposed, up in arms, 115 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:31.000 and this is partly tribal politics. On the other hand, 116 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:34.879 you know, I think why this is happening, Why Matt Gates, 117 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:37.720 why Pete Hegseth, And I don't lump all three of 118 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:39.560 them together, by the way, I think hegscith is. I 119 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:41.279 think I agree with Charlie and this is a worthy 120 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:42.399 of appointment. 121 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:44.959 They there's two things. 122 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:47.879 Trump wants loyalty, and he's appointed people who he thinks 123 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:50.399 will be much more loyal to him than this first term. 124 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:52.959 I'm doubtful about RFK by the way. He could easily 125 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:56.360 go off the reservation very fast, depending on a variety 126 00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:00.720 of things. And he wants disruptors, and in you know, Gates, 127 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:03.519 I think hakesa two and certainly a RFK. You see 128 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:05.800 people who want to go in and you know, smash 129 00:06:05.879 --> 00:06:09.800 up the joint, disrupt the places that might create chaos. 130 00:06:10.120 --> 00:06:11.879 I have to say, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling 131 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:13.600 when I read, as I did in the paper this 132 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:16.439 morning that something like forty percent of the staff of 133 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:20.160 the Centers for Disease Control say they'll quit if RFK 134 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:23.079 has made a Secretary of Health and Human Services. It 135 00:06:23.160 --> 00:06:26.000 was like Boster making Elon Musk job of reducts reducing 136 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:27.079 federal employees. Easy. 137 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:29.720 We hear about this, we hear about this, Justice, we 138 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:31.920 hear about this at FBI. Everyone's heading for the exits, 139 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:33.920 and you get the picture almost of a silent movie 140 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:37.079 comedy skit where you have, you know, a variety of 141 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:40.879 corpulent people attempting to fit the door at the same time. Yeah, 142 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:45.439 I mean, it's it's it's the government. It's downsizing version 143 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:49.040 of self deportation. Yes. One of the ones that I 144 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:52.480 found interesting because I had no idea who he was 145 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:55.360 was John Jay Ray, which I like, you know, a 146 00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:58.399 comedian from the you can call me John j Ray. 147 00:06:58.480 --> 00:06:59.959 The third who. 148 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:04.160 Is being floated for Secretary of Education, And I thought 149 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:07.639 that was interesting because we've had the statement that the 150 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:12.480 Department of Education should be eliminated, which causes hair to 151 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:18.879 erupt spontaneously all over in certain quarters, because how can 152 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:21.879 you say that with the appalling educational results that we 153 00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:25.720 already have in the country. How can you because they 154 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:29.279 don't have any students. Because the very idea of dismantling 155 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:31.720 this top down apparatus and taking the money and giving 156 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:35.279 the responsibility back to the states seems like a capital 157 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:38.800 idea because It's not as if we've had an efflorescence 158 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.439 of brilliance in our public school system. Since the Department 159 00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:45.279 of Education was established, We've had a series of mandates 160 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:48.800 and ideas and acronyms and the rest of it, all 161 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:53.079 of which have distorted and contorted and led to appalling results. 162 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.000 The only chart that you have to show people, really 163 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:58.120 is the chart that shows the amount of money that 164 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.480 I'm going to students and the amount of money that's 165 00:08:00.519 --> 00:08:02.000 been going to administrators. 166 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:03.480 That's all you need to do. 167 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:08.040 And if you say that you know we're going to 168 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:09.360 take that money, we're going to give it back to 169 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:11.959 the states along with control and have people will have 170 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.040 the well again, they're terrified of that because they think 171 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:17.199 then that the people who show up and complain at 172 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:19.319 the school board meetings about books in the schools are 173 00:08:19.319 --> 00:08:22.839 going to be the ones who dominate the local politics. 174 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:27.480 It's just not a necessary department. Ray I knew nothing 175 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:29.439 about him, was the guy who was put in charge 176 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:33.679 of FTX, the crypto Buddy after it fell apart. And 177 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:35.200 the reason that I trust him if he takes his 178 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:37.960 job because according to the Wikipedia page, he's paid a 179 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.840 two hundred thousand dollars annual retreat retainer and makes one 180 00:08:41.879 --> 00:08:45.799 three hundred dollars an hour as the CEO of FTX 181 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:47.840 by his appointment. So if he's willing to give up 182 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:50.679 that kind of capital in order to do this, I'm 183 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:54.320 thinking he might be coming in to dismantle and help 184 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:58.840 take apart the Department of Education or are we all 185 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:02.639 just hoffened the paint fumes and it is never going 186 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:04.879 to happen, because when is an never win? Is a 187 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:06.720 cabinet position ever gone away? 188 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:10.399 Well, yeah, it looks like an odd appointment. 189 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:13.519 I mean, usually you want someone who has some background 190 00:09:13.559 --> 00:09:15.600 in education and you know, from our point of view, 191 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:18.120 a sensible reformer like you know, William Bennett in the 192 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:20.840 eighties or Betsy Davos and Trump's first term. 193 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:24.480 And yeah, this guy looks like someone who is not a. 194 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.480 Special a specialist in receiverships and bankruptcies. 195 00:09:27.559 --> 00:09:29.080 But that's kind of what he's looking at here. 196 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:32.159 He wants to go through and dismantle the assets of 197 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:34.600 the Department of Education. Some functions I think you have 198 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:38.399 to keep that predated the department when Jimmy Carter created it. Uh, 199 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:40.440 you know, I made a suggestion online, but two three 200 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:43.360 weeks ago that one of the things that Trump Education 201 00:09:43.480 --> 00:09:47.200 Department should do on day one is copy what the 202 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:51.480 Obama and Biden administrations did, namely, send a Dear Colleague 203 00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:54.799 letter like they did with Title nine, to every university 204 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:57.519 and say it is the legal opinion of the Trump 205 00:09:57.559 --> 00:10:02.159 administration that every de ie office of the university is 206 00:10:02.279 --> 00:10:05.399 a presumptive violation of Title six of the Civil Rights Act. 207 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:08.720 And unless you abolish them, not rename them, not shuffle 208 00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:12.000 deck chairs, but abolish them and dismiss their employees and 209 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:14.159 get rid of all the rules and guidelines, we are 210 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:16.159 cutting off your federal funding today. 211 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:19.440 And Trump this morning said something very close to that. 212 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:21.600 He said my first week in office, I'm going to 213 00:10:21.639 --> 00:10:25.080 tell universities through the Department of Education, if they don't 214 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:28.039 and their tolerance of anti Semitism on campus, We're going 215 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:31.480 to review their accreditation and cut off their federal funding. 216 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:34.879 You know, if the Department of Education and this secretary 217 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:37.720 does things like that, then Democrats will want to abolish 218 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:41.559 the department. So again, I like a very aggressive strategy 219 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:43.759 possibly that we're seeing shape up so far. 220 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:47.080 Charles, how do you think that's going to play out? 221 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:50.559 Because people are also saying in addition to the dear 222 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:53.080 colleague letter to the universities telling them to knock it 223 00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:56.960 off with tolerating the anti semitism, there's been floated, as 224 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:01.080 ever again, the idea of taxing the endowments, taxing the 225 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:05.039 endowments and using the money to fund a free online 226 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:08.519 university which would be accredited that people could use that 227 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:11.600 people who do not have access to the IVS, shall 228 00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:13.080 we say, would be able to use? 229 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:14.919 What do you think of that idea? 230 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:15.399 No? 231 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:17.120 I just want to text them anyway. 232 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:24.679 Yes, you know why because President Biden illegally and willfully 233 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:29.240 spent I think the most recent number is one hundred 234 00:11:29.240 --> 00:11:32.919 and forty billion dollars. The aim was to spend five 235 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:37.679 hundred billion dollars on transferring the liability for student loans 236 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:39.360 from the people who took them out, spent them, and 237 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:42.080 benefited from them to people who didn't. That money is 238 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:47.279 going to come from somewhere taxes or debt, which eventually 239 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:51.720 becomes taxes, and I would like to see that money 240 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:57.000 paid back so that no funds are taken away from 241 00:11:57.080 --> 00:12:01.440 the people who did not benefit from those college educations. 242 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:04.320 There are a bunch of things raised that I would 243 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:06.960 just say on the Department of Education, I'm entirely in 244 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:09.480 favor of its abolition. It shouldn't exist. There's no federal 245 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:13.120 role for education. It shouldn't be. The likelihood of Congress 246 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:18.799 using its political capital to do this, given the hyperbole 247 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:21.879 and demagoguery that that would yield. 248 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:23.360 From the left, I think is relatively small. 249 00:12:23.480 --> 00:12:27.320 Perhaps you might get something in reconciliation to reduce its budget, 250 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:29.919 although I won't hold my breath. The problem with and 251 00:12:29.960 --> 00:12:33.080 I know he was half joking, The problem with expecting 252 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:39.879 Stephen's excellent idea of the Dear Colleague letter to sell 253 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:42.159 Democrats on the case for getting rid of the Department 254 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:44.440 of Education is what you are doing with that, and 255 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.440 what Trump should do with that is reaffirming its power. 256 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:50.639 And Democrats are just going to want to take it 257 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:52.399 over again and do the opposite. We're just going to 258 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:55.799 see cesawing back and forth letters on due process, on 259 00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:57.559 college campuses, on DII. 260 00:12:57.240 --> 00:12:57.879 And so forth. 261 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:00.679 But I'm one hundred percent with you on the details. 262 00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:04.639 I think that the best thing and I know a 263 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:06.639 lot of people on the right were squishy about this, 264 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:09.960 I wasn't The best thing Trump did in this area 265 00:13:10.039 --> 00:13:13.159 was right toward the end of his first administration where 266 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:16.799 he sent a letter to was it Princeton after Princeton 267 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:20.600 announced that it was racist in that glorious Summer of 268 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:25.279 Nonsense twenty twenty, Princeton said, we are a racist institution. 269 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:27.200 Could have been yeah, I can't remember, but one of. 270 00:13:27.159 --> 00:13:30.279 These big ivs said we are a racist institution. And 271 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:34.039 Trump's doj I think, said oh, well, if you're a 272 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:37.600 racist institution, then we're obliged under the law to investigate you. 273 00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:39.039 Yeah. 274 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:44.759 That's absolutely, quite seriously, that is absolutely what the federal 275 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:51.080 government should be doing. The DEI push is obviously in 276 00:13:51.159 --> 00:13:53.600 violation of the Civil Rights Act, and if you believe 277 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:57.320 that the Affirmative Action decision was correct, arguably of the 278 00:13:57.320 --> 00:14:00.000 Fourteenth Amendment acid has been construed by the Supreme Court 279 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:04.879 as well. And while conservatives are in charge of these organizations, 280 00:14:04.919 --> 00:14:07.200 if they're not going to abolish them, which they should, 281 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:10.000 they should be directing them precisely this way. 282 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:11.200 I'm with you on that. 283 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:13.320 The problem, of course, is that if you have an 284 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:15.799 online university only, then you don't have toga parties. And 285 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:17.480 if you don't have toga parties, then you don't have 286 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:20.600 those rituals of college, where, of course, the next day 287 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:23.120 you drag yourself off to class. The problem is, of course, 288 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:25.200 is that you know when you do that and you 289 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:27.279 over indulge, you feel bad. But let me tell you 290 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:29.720 there's a sure fire away to wake up feeling fresh 291 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:31.519 the next day after a night of toga party. And 292 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:36.679 that's with pre alcohol pre alcohol. That's right, zbiotics pre 293 00:14:36.759 --> 00:14:41.159 alcohol probiotic drink. It's the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. 294 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:45.080 It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle those rough 295 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.919 mornings after drinking. Here's how it works. When you drink, 296 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:51.000 alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut, 297 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:55.360 and it's this byproduct, not dehydration that's to blame for 298 00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:59.159 your rough next day. Pre alcohol produces an enzyme to 299 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:03.080 break this by product down. Just remember to make zbiotics 300 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:05.639 your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly, and you'll 301 00:15:05.639 --> 00:15:08.879 feel your best tomorrow. Now, you know me, I've been 302 00:15:08.919 --> 00:15:11.440 talking about this for a long time and I don't 303 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:13.080 like to do anything and tell you about it that 304 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:15.480 I haven't done. And I've done this and it was 305 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:18.120 sort of like a you know, some assignments are oh boy, 306 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:20.080 do I have to. But the other is try this 307 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:25.080 and have yourself a scotch and I did and I 308 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:25.799 felt great. 309 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:28.000 So this is it. 310 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:33.159 Though with their GMO technology, z biotics is continuing to 311 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:36.559 invent probiotics. It will help enjoy odd everyday challenges of 312 00:15:36.600 --> 00:15:39.720 modern life. And you can get started at zbiotics dot 313 00:15:39.720 --> 00:15:42.440 com slash ricochet to learn more and to get fifteen 314 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:44.799 percent off your first order. That's if you use the 315 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.480 Ricochet coupon code at the checkout. Zbiotics is back with 316 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:50.720 the one hundred percent money back guarantee, so if you 317 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:53.960 are unsatisfied for any reason, they will refund your money, 318 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:56.720 no questions asked. You got nothing to lose, so remember 319 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:59.799 head to zbiotics dot com slash ricochet and use the 320 00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:03.000 code to Ricochet at the checkout for fifteen percent off. 321 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:06.799 And we thanks the Biotics sponsoring this the Ricochet podcast. 322 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:10.200 And now we welcome to the podcast a brand new guest. 323 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:12.039 We've never talked to you before and we're eager to 324 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:15.279 pick his brain on a variety of I'm kidding it's 325 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:19.279 one of our faves. Andy McCarthy Anna McCarthy, Senior Fellow 326 00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:22.480 with the National Review Institute and our contributing editor and 327 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:27.080 the author of Ball of Collusion, the plot to rig 328 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:31.799 an election and destroy a presidency. Well, that presidency is back, 329 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:33.559 and so is Andy. How are you doing today. 330 00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:36.879 I'm doing great, guys. How are you good? 331 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:38.799 Capital All right? 332 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.960 You know we've been talking Trump appointments. We wanted to 333 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:45.559 save one for you, so we know you probably have 334 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:48.240 some thoughts about it. So if you could just tell 335 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:51.960 us where do you stand on Telsea Gambert? 336 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:52.559 No, I'm kidding. 337 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:54.799 You know who I'm talking about. 338 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:59.000 Yeah, Look, Gates is an appalling appointment. But it's funny 339 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:03.799 that you mentioned gab because I think there's a logic 340 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:09.319 to those two appointments together. I think Trump believes, and 341 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:16.200 he's got colorable reasons for this, that the main insiders 342 00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:19.079 in the government that went after him were in the 343 00:17:19.160 --> 00:17:23.119 Justice Department and the intelligence community. And I think if 344 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:30.559 you think of Gabbard and Gates as being sent into 345 00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:34.640 those agencies to kind of clean house and either get 346 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:39.559 rid of or marginalize the people that Trump believes not 347 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:46.119 only gun for him, but in general politicize their authority, 348 00:17:46.200 --> 00:17:48.599 which is a big problem in the government and in 349 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:53.400 particular in the law enforcement and intelligence apparatus. Then those 350 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:55.759 appointments make sense. I don't have to like them, but 351 00:17:55.799 --> 00:17:59.240 I think that that's the logic of the appointments. 352 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:03.200 It's Steve Hayward in Washington. I'm actually at the annual 353 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:05.799 Federal Society Conference, where I know you've been president in 354 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:06.680 the years past. 355 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:08.119 And no one has taken a poll. 356 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:12.079 But everyone you talk to is similarly appalled at the 357 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:15.480 Gates nomination and think there is zero chance he will 358 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:19.400 be confirmed. I mean, I have my theories about this 359 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:23.519 that are congruent with yours. Trump wants disruptors, he wants 360 00:18:23.559 --> 00:18:25.400 people who he thinks will be loyal to him when 361 00:18:25.400 --> 00:18:28.279 he thinks he couldn't count on I think incorrectly he 362 00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:30.839 couldn't count on his first attorney generals from Trump one. 363 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:37.519 But boy, I don't know. I'm sort of a loss 364 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:39.279 to say, how could you have thought this is a 365 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:41.440 good idea. I mean, I get the other people, even 366 00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:44.119 RFK Junior, I get to a certain extent, even though 367 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:47.359 I think that's a dubious idea. I kind of get 368 00:18:47.400 --> 00:18:49.200 that one, but this one's a real head scratcher. 369 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:53.839 Well, during the I've kind of made a resolution, Steve, 370 00:18:53.880 --> 00:18:56.279 that I'm not going to get myself old whipped up 371 00:18:56.279 --> 00:19:00.000 about the second Trump administration, because I was actually talking 372 00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:05.720 a Rich Lowry before on our podcast about this. If 373 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:09.359 you look like month to month in the last Trump administration, 374 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:12.240 there would be NonStop drama. I used to call the 375 00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:17.119 Twitter feed all in, all the time, right, right. And 376 00:19:17.160 --> 00:19:20.200 then there were the people who provided guardrails for him, 377 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:24.119 the Bill Boarrs and Mike Pompeo's and those guys of 378 00:19:24.200 --> 00:19:27.039 the world. Right. So if you rode this thing like 379 00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:30.839 a daily rollercoaster, it would drive you nuts. But if 380 00:19:30.839 --> 00:19:32.839 you looked at where the country was on the first 381 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:35.279 of the month and the thirtieth of the month, it 382 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:38.720 was pretty much the same place. And it was there 383 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:41.079 was a lot of There was a lot of good 384 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:46.240 I think more good than bad certainly during those four years. 385 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:48.640 So I'm going to try not to get whipped up 386 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:51.359 about the ups and downs. I think this is an 387 00:19:51.400 --> 00:20:01.359 extraordinary one because the Framers put the Senate vetting of 388 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:08.000 high government officials into the Constitution precisely to protect liberty 389 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:10.480 and because they didn't want too much power to be 390 00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:16.200 accumulated in any one person's hands. So the president gets 391 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:19.640 to fire anyone that he wants in the Justice Department. 392 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:25.240 But you can't appoint somebody who can't get past the Senate, 393 00:20:25.240 --> 00:20:27.359 which is supposed to be looking for whether they have 394 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:31.519 the characters, the scruples, and the capabilities to do the 395 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:36.000 job on some sort of minimally acceptable level. And I 396 00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:40.839 have to say, if you don't have a filibuster on confirmations, 397 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:46.119 and you got a fifty three forty seven Republican majority 398 00:20:46.119 --> 00:20:48.319 in the Senate, and you think you have to do 399 00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:53.759 a Kakamami recess appointment scheme to get somebody appointed, then 400 00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:58.240 that should say, even to Trump, this is someone who 401 00:20:58.279 --> 00:21:01.039