WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:03.319 An important thing about growing up and being a mature 2 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:07.879 adult human being is understanding that what's important to you 3 00:00:08.119 --> 00:00:12.359 might not be important to your interlocutor, having a sense 4 00:00:12.439 --> 00:00:17.359 of self awareness, having a clue. As my dad might 5 00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:22.440 put it, this is the predicament that maybe the presdo 6 00:00:22.519 --> 00:00:29.519 Bee is in right now, as they breathlessly report. And 7 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:34.560 a piece published today, why did Elon Musk spend nearly 8 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:43.079 a million dollars to help elect David Valadalo? David Valadoe? Remember, 9 00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:47.840 the House of Representatives represents a good portion of King's 10 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:52.039 County and Hilary County and some of the. 11 00:00:51.960 --> 00:00:52.960 South Valley. 12 00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:03.600 Apparently received some million ish dollars from Elon Musk's various 13 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:07.840 political action committees that mister Musk funds. 14 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:09.519 Here's the president, b Storre. 15 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:14.400 Elon Musk's America Political Action Committee spent nearly a million 16 00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:18.079 dollars trying to get Representative David Valadeo re elected last year. 17 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:22.920 Democrats say that has left the Hanford Republican eager to 18 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:26.760 support the billionaire who's been instrumental in pushing for big 19 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:31.480 government spending cuts. Republicans counted that such a claim is 20 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:37.760 misleading and wrong. Californians will continue to stand with Congressman 21 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:40.519 Valadeo and reject the dishonest tactics of a party that 22 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:44.920 has lost its way, said Christian Martinez, National Republican Congressional 23 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:48.879 Committee spokesperson. While Valadeo has praised President Donald Trump often 24 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:51.359 and voted with Republicans on major budget issues this year, 25 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:55.200 there is no evidence he's been dealing with Musk. He did, though, 26 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:58.359 see value to the Department of Government efficiency, where Musk 27 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:02.760 has been a driving force. They're trying a different path 28 00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:05.040 than what we've tried in the past, and other efforts 29 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:09.680 we've made haven't been as effective, he told Bakersfield Bakersfield's 30 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:13.120 twenty three ABC's Mike Hart last week. Democrats see a 31 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:18.520 close connection between Musk's views and Valadeo's actions. No matter 32 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:20.400 how much he tries to spin it or hide it, 33 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:24.319 David Valadeo will always be beholden to his chief campaign financier, 34 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:29.639 Elon Musk, said Viet Shelton, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional 35 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:33.319 Campaign Committee. These desperate attempts by out of touch Democrats 36 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:37.080 to mislead Californians are not just sad the Republicans, Martinez said, 37 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:45.599 they're embarrassing all right, So they look then into Musks 38 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:51.800 spending through this America Pack. America Pack as a super 39 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:54.719 pack founded and largely funded by Musk. It spent about 40 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:56.639 one hundred and seventy three million dollars during the twenty 41 00:02:56.680 --> 00:03:00.120 twenty four election cycle on independent expenditures that means it 42 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:03.680 could spend unlimited amounts to boost or oppose candidates. The 43 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:06.159 group spent one hundred forty three point eight million to 44 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:09.400 help elect Trump last year, according to data compiled by 45 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:13.639 Open Secrets and non partisan research firm. Valadeo's campaign was 46 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:17.159 not allowed to coordinate with Musk's pack. America Pack did 47 00:03:17.159 --> 00:03:19.960 not respond to a request for comment. FEC records show 48 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:23.120 that it tried to help three California members of Congress, 49 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:27.479 Valadeo and Representatives Ken Calvert, a Republican from Corona, and 50 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.039 Michelle Steele, a Republican from Steeal Beach. Calvert won and 51 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:34.719 Steel lost. The pack spent nine hundred eighty three thousand, 52 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:37.479 four hundred eighty four dollars to help Valadeo win. He 53 00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:41.080 had been considered vulnerable since Democrat Joe Biden won his 54 00:03:41.080 --> 00:03:43.280 district in twenty twenty. And this is the crux of it. 55 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:43.599 Okay. 56 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:50.919 Musk in the last election cycle became a big time 57 00:03:51.000 --> 00:04:01.159 Republican funder. He was giving to Republican causes, so he 58 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:05.479 was most enthused I think about Donald Trump. He gives 59 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:10.080 Trump a bunch of money, and then clearly Republicans were 60 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:12.159 talking with him and we're like, hey, listen, we have 61 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:15.719 a couple of House seats that are really important and 62 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:18.720 really in dispute, and we'd like, you know, for Trump 63 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:22.120 to be able to govern, we need, you know, to 64 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:24.319 make sure that we win a couple of these House seats. 65 00:04:24.360 --> 00:04:26.439 Particularly in California. 66 00:04:26.920 --> 00:04:33.160 Valdeo's seat was going to be very tightly contested. John 67 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.920 Duarte versus Adam Gray was going to be very hotly contested. 68 00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:43.079 So they convinced Musk to. 69 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:46.319 Use this Political Action Committee to give some money there. 70 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:49.800 And I think that has to be kind of understood. 71 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:53.240 This is I mean, we have this breathless story in 72 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:55.000 the Fresno b and that's what That's what I was 73 00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:59.000 leading off with about having a sense of what is 74 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:01.040 actually important. 75 00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:03.720 I think the. 76 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:10.759 Alleged hatred for Elon Musk by the American public more 77 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:15.199 broadly is overstated. I don't think most Americans really dislike him. 78 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:15.879 All that much. 79 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:19.839 Maybe some Americans are a little annoyed at whatever role 80 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:22.839 he seems to be playing within the current Trump administration, 81 00:05:24.759 --> 00:05:27.360 and it seems like Elon is taking a lot of 82 00:05:27.399 --> 00:05:29.079 the heat that could otherwise have. 83 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:30.920 Gone to Trump. Maybe that's part of the point. 84 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:36.720 I don't think most people despise him, though certainly not 85 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:40.240 the way that democrats or the media do. I think 86 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:45.040 democrats in the media want to build up enough of 87 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:49.680 a body of negative stories on Musk to the point 88 00:05:49.720 --> 00:05:55.879 that his person, his character, is toxic, and thus any 89 00:05:55.920 --> 00:06:03.240 connection to him will itself be toxic. This is a 90 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:08.360 common thing that the media and Democrats do is try 91 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:10.439 to build up a kind of what I call the 92 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:14.000 fog of news. We haven't actually established that someone is 93 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.399 a really bad guy. We just report enough small negative 94 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:23.720 pieces about this person to build up the perception in 95 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:26.240 the minds of enough of the American public that this 96 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:29.639 is an unacceptable kind of person. And that's what they're 97 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:39.360 trying to do with Musk, and I guess that's I 98 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:43.839 just find that to be a little silly, the idea 99 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:48.639 that Valideo is just a whipping boy for whatever Musk 100 00:06:48.839 --> 00:06:52.959 wants to do. Look, if you've got Valideo voting on 101 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:59.319 some kind of ridiculous spending measure that is going to 102 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:05.399 directly benefit makers of electric car companies, including Elon Musk, 103 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:08.040 and you can show some kind of direct nexus between 104 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:13.800 Valadeo voting on something that's directly benefiting Musk's business interests 105 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:16.959 and Musk super Pac gave him a million dollars. Okay, 106 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:22.279 maybe we can make a story out of it, but 107 00:07:22.360 --> 00:07:28.000 that connection hasn't been made the whole idea of super 108 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:31.680 Pac funding. So that's this is an important thing to understand. 109 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:36.279 Most of the time, there are campaign contribution limits for 110 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:39.480 someone for an individual to give money to. 111 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:41.800 A politician. 112 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:46.360 So if Elon Musk pulls out his checkbook and wants 113 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:49.920 to write a check directly, he himself directly wants to 114 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:52.360 write a check to support David Valadeo and meets with 115 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:55.000 David Valdeo in his office and says, Hi, David Valadeo, 116 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:56.920 my name is an Elon Musk. I would like to 117 00:07:56.920 --> 00:07:59.959 give you money to help support your campaign. Great, Elon, 118 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:03.920 why don't you give me? Well, unfortunately, all you can 119 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:08.399 do is give me whatever is the top max individual contribution, 120 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:15.279 which I believe is like six thousand something dollars. I 121 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:20.240 believe it's under ten thousand dollars. And that's all you 122 00:08:20.279 --> 00:08:24.680 can do, Elon Musk. That's the limit of your campaign contribution. However, 123 00:08:25.319 --> 00:08:30.480 if Elon Musk starts a super pack, a super political 124 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:37.000 action committee, an organization that exists to provide funding or 125 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:43.200 support to political campaigns, he can do that with no 126 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:50.759 spending limit whatsoever. The only hitch is that this super 127 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:54.320 pack of Elon Musk's it can't and any superpack. This 128 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:57.840 is how all super packs work. This super pac cannot 129 00:08:58.039 --> 00:09:06.639 directly coordinate with the candidate in question, So it Elon 130 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:10.960 can't call David Valadeo up and say, hey, David, I'm 131 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:15.759 gonna spend a million dollars on your campaign. Oh thank you, 132 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:17.879 mister Musk. Why don't you have the money be directed 133 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:20.039 towards you know, this amount of mailers and this amount 134 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:22.840 of television ads, and put television ads here and play 135 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:26.720 some television ads during you know, during this NFL playoff, 136 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:30.639 during during this NFL game, and blah blah blah blah 137 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:32.639 bout you know, make sure you have some ads playing 138 00:09:32.679 --> 00:09:35.279 during the Notre Dame USC game and blah blah. No, 139 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:42.080 Valideo can't coordinate that with Musk. That's the idea. With 140 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:44.919 super PACs, it's a political action committee. It's a free 141 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:48.120 standing thing. It can make contributions in favor of in 142 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:51.519 support of one candidate or another, but it's not allowed 143 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:54.799 to coordinate with the candidate or with the candidate's campaign. 144 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:55.840 Okay, So. 145 00:09:57.639 --> 00:10:03.360 This is not something as a result that Valadeo was 146 00:10:04.600 --> 00:10:08.679 necessarily directing or coordinating at all, which I think is 147 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:11.320 a relevant part of the story. Now, some people, I 148 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:14.639 think roll their eyes at that requirement. Is there some 149 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:20.840 coordination that's going on between super PACs and candidates? Maybe 150 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:25.519 maybe there is, but that theoretically has to be maintained, 151 00:10:25.559 --> 00:10:30.000 and if it's not, there could be penalties. So if 152 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:34.360 that's been maintained, it weakens the argument that Valadeo is 153 00:10:34.679 --> 00:10:37.639 Elon Musk's whipping boy who just does whatever Elon Musk 154 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:45.039 tells him to do. Secondly, most of the things that 155 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:54.399 are being mentioned in this article is about stuff Elon 156 00:10:54.600 --> 00:10:55.960 wants to cut. 157 00:10:57.279 --> 00:10:58.360 And what. 158 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:05.039 Commitment David Valadeo is going to have towards cutting those things. 159 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.360 So a big part of the story is about medicaid. 160 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:16.200 Musk told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow on March tenth. 161 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:18.919 On March tenth, broadcast that waste and fraud and entitlement 162 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:21.600 programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are the 163 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:24.919 big one to eliminate. One month since President Trump took office, 164 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:27.519 Californians are holding David Valadeo and Ken Calverts to the 165 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:31.039 feet for standing idly by where while they're extreme party 166 00:11:31.080 --> 00:11:34.440 bosses consider taking a hatchet to critical programs like Medicaid 167 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:37.120 that families in the Valley and Riverside County rely. On 168 00:11:37.159 --> 00:11:41.080 set of February twentieth Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee statement. So 169 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:44.919 this is this is why Democrats are pointing all this out. 170 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:47.519 And it's funny that. 171 00:11:47.559 --> 00:11:49.240 I mean, you know, the present note B is just 172 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:54.960 basically acting here as the Democratic parties you know, campaigning 173 00:11:54.960 --> 00:11:59.960 spokespersons that basically they're trying to make this the big 174 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:02.919 argument they want to make. The one way in which 175 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:06.720 David Valadeo at one point lost his House seat was 176 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:10.080 back in twenty seventeen, David Valadeo voted with the other 177 00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:13.759 Republicans to appeal Obamacare, which would have resulted in a 178 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:17.399 shrinking of the pool of people eligible for Medicaid. That's 179 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:21.200 why he lost in twenty eighteen. Valadeo lost his House 180 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:22.759 seat in twenty eighteen to TJ. 181 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:23.240 Cox. 182 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:27.240 He managed to regain it in twenty twenty, but he 183 00:12:27.320 --> 00:12:29.879 lost that House seat because of this, because of how 184 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:33.559 he voted on Medicaid. And so Democrats want to make 185 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:36.799 a direct line of Elon Musk wants to cut Medicaid. 186 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:43.720 Elon Musk gave David Valadeo a million dollars. David Valadeo's 187 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:52.360 an evil guy. Now, it is also important to realize 188 00:12:52.399 --> 00:13:02.519 this with Valadeo, He's not exactly some doctrinaire Republican. Nobody 189 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:08.200 has gotten less credit from the Fresno Bee than David Validat, 190 00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:12.799 you know, the Fresno Bee, which tries to position itself, as. 191 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:14.399 You know, above the Fray. 192 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:18.919 They can't just come out and say, yeah, our editorial 193 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:23.159 board is liberal Democrats, and we believe in the political 194 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:25.399 priorities of the modern day Democratic Party. 195 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:30.720 We are liberals. That's who we are and what we 196 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:31.200 believe in. 197 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:33.679 And so as a result of our editorial board, we 198 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:37.480 tend to support Democrats unless there's something so. 199 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:42.039 Absurd that, you know, maybe we'll support a Republican. But 200 00:13:42.120 --> 00:13:42.759 that's who we are. 201 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:45.600 That the Fresno BEE never does that. They should do 202 00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:50.480 that because basically, when they endorse candidates or oppost candidates anytime, 203 00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:54.879 anytime it's like really important or just all things being equal, 204 00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:57.799 they endorse the Democrat like nine times out of ten, 205 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:01.240 unless maybe it's it's a race where it's so out 206 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:03.840 of reach for the Democrat, maybe they're just like, yeah, right, 207 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:08.879 But here's David val Here's David Belladale going through puberty 208 00:14:08.919 --> 00:14:11.840 on the radio. Here's David Valadaloe, who voted to impeach 209 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:18.320 Donald Trump after January sixth, genuinely did that. He actually 210 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:20.519 voted to impeach Trump on January sixth. I think he 211 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:23.000 might be the only member of the Republican member of 212 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:28.159 the House left who voted to impeach Donald Trump. The 213 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:32.240 Fresno b has given him exactly zero credit for that. 214 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:38.159 It bought him seemingly like they were, David Valadeo voted 215 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:41.000 to impeach President Trump. We respect that decision of his. 216 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:44.799 They've never supported him. Here they are running this story, 217 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:48.960 which is just a bunch of Democrat campaign talking points 218 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:53.159 about why are we focused so much on Valadale Because 219 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:56.440 let me, let me guarantee this a story about a 220 00:14:56.519 --> 00:15:00.759 million dollars from Elon Musk going to support David Valadeo 221 00:15:00.759 --> 00:15:04.440 and will he do what David Valadeo wants. There are 222 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:11.360 plenty of big time, big money Democrat financiers who give 223 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:16.960 big money to Democrat congressional candidates, and you can make 224 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:18.879 some shadowy story about. 225 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:21.759 Is this Democrat doing whatever George Soros wants? 226 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:27.000 The Fresno Bee would never run a story like that, ever, 227 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:34.600 George Soros gave a million dollars to this member of Congress. 228 00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:38.080 Is he just going to be George Soros's whipping boy? 229 00:15:38.679 --> 00:15:40.799 And it might have been in Soros's case it Soros 230 00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:43.879 was giving a gazillion dollars to Democrats nationwide, and this 231 00:15:44.039 --> 00:15:45.600 was a tight race, so we wound up given this 232 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:48.480 race more money. It's not as though there's a nefarious 233 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:50.879 plot on Elon Musk's part. 234 00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:56.799 Ahha, David Valadeo is my instrument to inflict my will 235 00:15:56.960 --> 00:15:57.879 upon Congress. 236 00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:03.120 No, David Valadeo is in a tight race. Musk wanted 237 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.639 a Republican majority. He needs to give more money in 238 00:16:06.679 --> 00:16:12.679 that case to Republicans who were in tight races. But 239 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:14.720 of course you would never in a million years see 240 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:15.399 the president be. 241 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:18.879 Oh the well to George Soros specifically. 242 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:21.720 Want big time political financiers do this kind of stuff. 243 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:26.240 They do it at the local level, they do it 244 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:28.320 at the national level, they do it at the statewide level. 245 00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:37.320 I mean, the whole story about George Soros flooded district 246 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:42.200 attorney races in big cities which were relatively small dollar races, 247 00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:46.080 flooded the zone with way more money for one specific 248 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:50.200 candidate than anyone had ever seen before to get ultra 249 00:16:50.440 --> 00:16:55.759 left wing district attorneys elected who would single handedly completely 250 00:16:55.799 --> 00:17:00.360 reshape criminal law for that big city. That strategy that 251 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:04.000 he employed in all kinds of cities all across the country, 252 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:12.079 the chase of budin alex gascon types. That was like 253 00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:16.680 a real, open, genuine nationwide strategy that Soros was like 254 00:17:16.839 --> 00:17:21.839 openly bragging about. And the Fresno and newspapers across the 255 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:27.640 country acted like Republicans were engaged in anti submit genuinely 256 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:33.599 accused Republicans of engaging in anti Semitic conspiracy theories for 257 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:39.000 pointing it out because Soros happens to be Jewish. No, 258 00:17:39.240 --> 00:17:42.039 this is not a conspiracy theory. This is his open, 259 00:17:42.599 --> 00:17:47.240 obvious strategy. He wanted to fundamentally reshape American criminal law, 260 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:52.799 and he did it through specific investments of political funding 261 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:57.920 into races that wouldn't ordinarily have that much money spent. 262 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:04.680 So anyway, the idea that we're going to make a 263 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:09.480 big time nationwide Republican financier gave a local Republican. 264 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:10.559 A bunch of money, Is he just going to do 265 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:11.319 whatever he wants? 266 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:17.000 Well, yes, Republicans get in Republicans and Democrats get influenced 267 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:22.359 to do the things that their donors want. Elon Musk 268 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:25.680 is hardly the one thing that is going to lead 269 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:31.000 David Valadeo to want to support whatever unpopular thing that 270 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:33.000 the Presno B is angry at him about. We'll talk 271 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:36.160 about Medicaid and waste and fraud and stuff like that. 272 00:18:36.200 --> 00:18:38.640 After the break. This is John Girardi on the John 273 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:42.440 Girardi Show. Here on Power Talk Fresno. 274 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:48.400 B breathlessly reports that David Valadeo is aligned with Elon Musk. 275 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:51.000 Elon Musk gave him a million dollars, So David Valadeo 276 00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:52.200 is going to do whatever he wants. 277 00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:54.480 And it's like, well, is he really was he already 278 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:54.799 going to do? 279 00:18:54.839 --> 00:18:58.359 I mean, the whole Republican Party is fairly well aligned 280 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:01.799 on a lot of their policy priority now the big thing, 281 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:04.640 and you know, look, Elon Musk was giving money to 282 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:08.759 Republicans nationwide. Of course, he gave more money to local races. 283 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:12.839 It's not like David Valadeo is his particular creature. Valadeo 284 00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:15.119 was just a Republican and a tight race, so as 285 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:22.960 a result, he got more money. Now, and this is 286 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.240 I think a very lazy article that to be published 287 00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:30.599 about this where they sort of just lay out every 288 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:36.079 Democrat talking point is Elon Musk's you know, support for 289 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:40.039 cutting medicaid is, does David Valadeo want to cut Medicaid 290 00:19:40.119 --> 00:19:43.680 for his constituents? For cutting the Department of Education? Does 291 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:47.599 David Valadeo want to cut education? Cutting the Department of 292 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:51.759 Education being you know, not something at all different from 293 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:57.519 cutting education in and of itself. This is all stuff 294 00:19:57.559 --> 00:20:03.960 that Republicans wanted to do. Anyway, Elon Musk's presence isn't 295 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:10.119 actually changing the fact that Medicaid is a massive entitlement. 296 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:13.799 It's grown to be this massive entitlement program with really 297 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:17.160 runaway spending, like it's a genuine problem just from a 298 00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:20.960 fiscal perspective, so how are you going to do that? 299 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:24.880 Will you either do it with you know, crushing tax 300 00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:29.880 increases or with cutting something And there's stuff to be 301 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:32.680 cut with Medicaid, especially when it comes to like fraud 302 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:35.680 or waste. Like you know, I've for the most part, 303 00:20:35.720 --> 00:20:40.519 I've been pretty skeptical of Trump's slash Elon's claims that 304 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:43.319 we can cut out fraud and abuse and that that's 305 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:45.880 gonna result in massive savings, you know. 306 00:20:46.039 --> 00:20:49.359 I will note though, with Medicaid, which is, you. 307 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:54.680 Know, a huge, huge entitlement that I think is approaching 308 00:20:55.279 --> 00:21:00.960 a trillion dollars in annual spending, there is some argument 309 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:05.119 that as much as five percent, so it's a bit 310 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:08.160 less than a trillion dollars. There's an argument that about 311 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:12.599 five percent of Medicaid's expenditures, which is insurance reimbursements, reimbursements 312 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:16.920 to cover the cost of someone receiving healthcare reimbursement to 313 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:20.720 the doctor, that like five percent of their reimbursements are 314 00:21:20.839 --> 00:21:25.559 wrongly given out, which in real world dollars is about 315 00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:28.960 thirty billion dollars. Like that that is not nothing, that's 316 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:33.200 a chunk. Now, is it going to make a dent? 317 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:36.200 As far as the big picture. I don't know, but 318 00:21:36.440 --> 00:21:38.799 it's not like there's no fraud or waste in the 319 00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:42.880 system to cut. And if someone wanted to vote for 320 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:46.960 something to make Medicaid sleeker and more streamlined. And also 321 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:51.519 I mean, there should be maybe some assessment of focusing 322 00:21:51.559 --> 00:21:54.160 Medicaid on the stuff that it was intended to help 323 00:21:54.200 --> 00:22:00.519 with when it was originally founded, people with disabilities, pregnant women, like, 324 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:04.079 there were certain groups so called legacy enroll lees in 325 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:07.119 Medicaid that the program was designed to help with. And 326 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:10.279 the problem is it just got expanded, expanded, expanded, expanded 327 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:17.000 to just be health insurance for lower income people with 328 00:22:17.240 --> 00:22:20.680 no sort of like work requirements or assessment of how 329 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:25.000 able bodied you are, like able bodied adults without kids. 330 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:30.000 Maybe maybe that's someone where we can sort of say, hey, 331 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:34.359 you need to go help yourself. Like the idea that 332 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:36.880 Medicaid is sacra saying that there's no way to cut 333 00:22:36.920 --> 00:22:43.359 it is pure politics, but it's a very effective talking point. 334 00:22:43.640 --> 00:22:46.440 That's the problem is that people here that you want 335 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:48.960 to cut medicaid, people here that you want to cut medical, 336 00:22:49.079 --> 00:22:50.240 they have insurance. 337 00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:52.759 They have medical. That really drives votes. 338 00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:58.480 That's why David Valadeo lost in twenty eighteen, and Democrats want. 339 00:22:58.319 --> 00:22:59.400 To repeat that again. 340 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:05.039 When we returned some major abortion related news, A massive 341 00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:09.119 news study about the abortion pill and why it's important. 342 00:23:09.160 --> 00:23:13.680 That's next on the John Girardi Show. The Ethics and 343 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:18.680 Public Policy Center in DC's this DC think tank, sort 344 00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:22.960 of aligned with various pro life and social conservative policies. 345 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:24.960 Released a paper. 346 00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:32.000 That is just released it today by Jamie Brian Hall 347 00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:32.519 and Ryan T. 348 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:33.160 Anderson. 349 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:42.079 This is the largest study of its kind looking into 350 00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:47.079 the adverse impacts of the abortion pill. And this couldn't 351 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:49.880 be more timely with the start of the Trump administration. 352 00:23:50.039 --> 00:23:51.759 Now with the head of the FDA in place, with 353 00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:56.240 RFK Junior in place, let's talk about it, and let 354 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:00.359 me first explain why this is important. So, for just 355 00:24:00.359 --> 00:24:03.000 a primer, what is quote the abortion pill? What heck 356 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:06.240 am I talking about when I say the word? And 357 00:24:06.279 --> 00:24:08.359 I'm going to talk about this on for this upcoming 358 00:24:08.359 --> 00:24:10.839 Saturday's Right to Life Radio. But this is important enough 359 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.680 that I think I got to talk about it today 360 00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:13.200 as well. 361 00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:14.160 So this. 362 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:19.200 Topic of the abortion pill, I think is largely not 363 00:24:19.880 --> 00:24:25.519 understood by most of the American public. When I say 364 00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:29.960 the word abortion, I think most of you listening probably 365 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:34.920 still think of surgery. You think of a surgical intervention 366 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:41.960 performed by a doctor. Now, first I'll tell you that 367 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:44.000 in California, it doesn't have to be performed by a doctor. 368 00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:46.960 It can be About ten or. 369 00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:50.039 Fifteen years ago, the state legislature changed the law to say, oh, 370 00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:51.799 a nurse, a practitioner can do it. And then about 371 00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:54.160 two years ago the state legislature changed the law and said, oh, 372 00:24:54.200 --> 00:24:55.799 physicians' assistants. 373 00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:55.720 Can do it. 374 00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:59.759 Before long, California will loose an abortion laws so much 375 00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:09.079 or will be able to perform surgical abortions. However, over 376 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:13.720 sixty percent of abortions are no longer performed surgically, and 377 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:17.279 that's a number that's changed significantly over the last eight years. 378 00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:21.359 Eight years ago, about thirty nine percent of abortions were 379 00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:25.079 performed by taking a drug. Today it is over sixty percent. 380 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:29.119 Somewhere around sixty three percent of abortions are performed by 381 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:36.079 taking a drug. By taking a pill, this is the 382 00:25:36.279 --> 00:25:42.400 abortion pill, otherwise known as by its actual name is mifepristone. 383 00:25:42.599 --> 00:25:43.599 That's the name of the drug. 384 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:50.359 So basically how the process works is and by the way, 385 00:25:50.359 --> 00:25:53.720 this is different from the morning after pill. The morning 386 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:56.799 after pill is a different drug called levone or gestrel. 387 00:25:57.400 --> 00:26:01.160 Lavone or gestral is taken within you know, the morning 388 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:05.920 after of a sexual encounter, and its chief mechanism is 389 00:26:05.960 --> 00:26:10.240 to try to prevent the woman from releasing an egg. 390 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:13.119 Ovulating, so. 391 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:19.079 Most of the time it is genuinely contraceptive. However, it 392 00:26:19.079 --> 00:26:21.759 does have this backup mechanism to make the inner lining 393 00:26:21.799 --> 00:26:26.119 of the uterus hostile to receiving a newly formed embryo, 394 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:30.960 so it might be a moortifacient. Its primary mechanism, though, 395 00:26:31.079 --> 00:26:35.079 is to try to prevent ovulating. That's the morning after pill. 396 00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:37.880 I'm not talking about that here. I'm talking about the 397 00:26:37.960 --> 00:26:42.960 abortion pill. Miph A pristone mif A pristone is a 398 00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:45.359 drug that can be taken up to ten weeks into 399 00:26:45.400 --> 00:26:48.480 a pregnancy, and what it does is it inhibits this 400 00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:53.480 hormone called progesterone. Progesterone is very important for ongoing health 401 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:58.200