Welcome to the commentary magazine podcast, I'm John POD words, the editor of Commentary magazine with me, as always know, Rossman or associate neither he nor I jump. And a green wild, our senior editor high Abe hygiene. Commentary magazine as these seventy two year old monthly of intellectual property serious analysis, cultural criticism from a conservative perspective. Joy,

is a commentary magazine, dot com, where we give you a few free riesling ask you to subscribe, one thousand nine hundred and ninety five for a digital subscription in twenty nine ninety five get to and all access official, including our beautiful monthly magazine in your mailbox with. We are working right now and closing the May issue. The April issue should be in those mailboxes right now and online. Some remarkable stuff in it take a look Noah Abe this morning double track, still licking his wounds from the failure of the American Health CARE Act, tweeted, something about how

he was going to have to where we were all going to have to punish both the Democrats and the freedom caucus. The forty member, strong conservative, rump in the house that is being blamed for the failure of the American Healthcare ACT that we're going to have to punish them in some fashion or run against them in twenty eighteen. So this is the first open threat made by Trump to to take revenge or to exert some kind of partisan discipline, those who tenth the health care bill. The question is. How serious is the threat that he is making here and how seriously does the Freedom caucus need to take this threat.

Anybody was we've spoken about in the past. There really are very few mechanisms available to the president to enforce this kind of discipline. The party committees no longer have the kind of influence that outside groups do in terms of funding. Nobody on in the freedom caucus is going to be punished by their voters for voting against something that their constituent size to liberal. So the conditions We don't exist for Donald Trump to make good on this threat, with the exception of being able to mobilise Vienna his his base of supporters and whose voices in the press to exert some pressure on green caucus and they ve been. Tiptoeing generally on this issue, with the exception of members like just in a marsh, is very combative with everybody in anybody. Yet people like TED Yo Ho who were came out drain and said that with Congress, one with the best- maybe I think we can all

totally ted you, how sad Khazar on MSNBC that somebody like Devon Union works for the president, which is not how the american government restructured Congress does not work for the president. It's bizarre attempt to defend the Intelligence Committee chair on them is current situation, but it there. They're not distancing themselves from the president, so much of the president is distancing themselves from from members of Congress, so I don't. I don't see what has this benefits to doubled from there all really and also what citizens, what what future voters. What voters want to punish the freedom causes for this? I'm I'm not I'm not clear on well. I think I think, if you, if you think through the logic of the logic of it, is that somehow Donald Trump willed, support or encourage were actively recruits

Primary challengers, let's to the freedom carcass of these, are actually seats that most of them can't possibly be won by democratic, which he would. One anyway. So the question is whether he would somehow encourage primary channel. There's no primarily, challenges have worked in certain. This is obviously we have the most shocking example of Freedom Caucus member Dave Brat, who pry married the majority leader of the of the house error can turn beat him in twenty fourteen, except he was running at key. Inter from the right, and in this case he would essentially have somebody running at the Freedom caucus from a more moderate. Population than about it. That's why nobody illogical consistency there it's entirely based on cold. Isn't there a bit

ready and willing shrunk to culture referred to the rest of my question, then, is like you can drag people out to the Poles, because you're making the case that error canter in twenty four team has no connection to the district or what it wants and he's a he's. A cell, out in a right now and all of that, but your she's going to succeed in primary people on the grounds that they were insufficiently loyal to Donald Trump into the Lee into the house leadership and to the people who are running Washington and although- and I think the other problems at our own even think the Trump Trump contests like this law I mean, I don't know that they're all worked up about punishing the freedom caucus over this summer, but not really worked up Disraeli like a little, like mildly miffed, that that Trump trumps tweets are rapidly becoming yielding diminishing, returns and demonstrating his own impotence. His second

tweet today was in the attack on the New York Times a failing New York Times, linking to a new post article that had some vague allegations about how the New York Times was not being honest with its readers. It was was all very kind of weird and impotent, and then he said that we should Reno revise without what laws. That light I lay liable. Thank you label laws related soon and anyone in organization that labels you there. There are such things as fed reliable laws there, all the state level. Nobody really believes that Congress would take it. Take it upon themselves to create some fat, reliable laws. It was be certainly be problematic with, if you were to put that before a court based on its constitutionality is just sort of event and that sort of what will happen here with this freedom Caucasus. Eventually people are just going to stop listening, but I mean, if it also just doesn't make sense to say we need to attack the Democrats and we need to act for freedom. Carcasses, though, as though the attackers

from the left and the basically, the people who are letting Trump have his way on the right are the same thing that only works. If you believe that Trump as the government Rich LAO, It has an extremely good piece right now in politico called the crisis of trumpets, which he postulates, that one of the things that were learning is the trumpet, basically is a party of one that that his populist themes and the way the way he talked about things in the town, sixteen election fundamentally have no followers, there's, no one who can suss out come up with a consistent understanding of what it is to be a Trump Republican.

Right I mean you serve new, even in nineteen, eighty, one, what it would mean to be a Reagan Republican, for example. It meant that you were a supporter of a national of a defence build up to five strong national defence and a tax had plan that was gonna cut taxes by thirty four thirty percent over for years. Those were the two major things are basically support the reduction in the size of government, which never really happen, though the government's growth was was slowed, but that was totally coherence and you didn't have any problem following it now: If you wanted to be a Trump Republican, you have a very hard time articulating what it meant and what was it you are being asked for works of whatever was that's suited his fancy that day, would you

Support building the wall, but you'd also support what you'd support building while you'd support some guy, the limitation there really executive orders and no on the majority muslim country with immigration, and you and you would support from trade barriers, and then you know crony cap, Lestat reason all visas for more logo. All sorts of stuff. I, like you, wouldn't know what it was You are being asked to do, and so this trajectory neighbouring live. American greatness. Wasn't a creator of terrorism. American firms a new magazine is to help create a true help, create some kind of a philosophical trump ism. The proof is that, president himself has to flow from the president himself. Remember Reagan: we always Everything is always analogies terrain, but its helpful because

since Reagan, you know had a body of speeches and things that need stood for. Things that he done there. The governor and speeches that he made an opposite the written and things that he'd said, all of which added up over the course of twenty years until some orb eight sixteen seventy years into some relative, coherent philosophy and trumpet the opposite, it's not coherent. It's, for example, What do we know about him that he said he didn't want to touch on. Title wants right, wasn't even touch entitlements and he likes entitlements and as our problem than title once well. So if you consider medicated entitlement nets of we're kind of entitlement, there is a huge Medicare reform in the matter Healthcare ACT, so he in his first major the legislation, the mothers enter piece of legislation, was something he said he wasn't interested in doing.

Which means he either didn't care, what was in it or he didn't know, or he does ITALY. However, you slice it. It's not. You know it's like, as though Ray Went for deficit reduction before he went for talk, tax cuts it would be like that of illegal. We're not gonna. Do that or you know we're Reagan went for. I do know well more regulation before he went for tax cuts, just hasn't just doesn't add up as of as a as a coherent. So as a result, it will be hard to figure out how you punish people for their high Paradoxically, if there's no orthodoxy, basically right I mean you can't be a heretic unless there's a doctrine that you're either that Europe overturning air religious, religious practices that you're not following when they're, not codified. I mean I mean is that article forget who ran about about the trumps importers who

still did they just alone. He says they. They love the It wasn't. The Toronto star by David Dale ran and there and there okay, with the lying and and the accusations of trouble. Until boils down to a style at the end of the day? That's that's going to be an impossible thing to to wage a political war defence of right. Well, no, are you where you were saying before that? There's just increasing evidence, slowly of doctrinal, but have you know, there's a naked political difficulties here and that the Trump White House is now you know very self. Evidently, in a condition of crisis, you went away out what you were when you

yeah. Well, I wrote about a little bit about this yesterday that there was a lot of celebration on the part of trump opponents and reporters, many of which are synonymous categories, who were very happy about a Gallup poll that demonstrated channel drums creator and continues among adults he's down to thirty five percent approval Fifty per cent disapproval and gallop others or brought Obama were favourable bottomed out at thirty eight eight percent- Hillary Clinton, thirty seven percent. So this is something of a moral victory for Trump opponents. I wrote that is more than a little imprudent, a because their cherry picking, poles of voters and likely voter shouted from while still very deep underwater is nearly as popular as he is, and gallop, and only among adults which doesn't reflect on how Republicans will votes. They don't care how adults

They care about voting in mid term elections that Republicans you're talking about a much more engaged voter at a much steadier voter that you're talking about just ever- everybody in America, of course, of course, of whom forty percent don't loud at all, and so narrowly, because we're at probably an artificial low point and quite a bit of news is cutting against Donald Trump, and we we have every reason to believe that he could have a series of legislative and court victories over the course of next couple weeks. Freedom in rebound in the polls in setting up the come back narrative, which will serve Donald Trump interests very much so sort of an imprudent position, but at the same time, is really a bad idea to dismiss the state that this way houses in it is in crisis. The deputy chief of staff has just left, presumably of revolution. Katy Wall shoe was basically rights, previous if you're, following the multiple camps, so K Wash was rights, premises, person.

Julia Hahn is Steve Barons person. So Katy while she is gone Giuliano mainstream, but when you're deputy chief of staff leaves to go shore up other outside grew which are by the way on the air supporting Donald Trump to the tune of three hundred thousand dollars that state seventy of his presidency. It's not a good thing. The president's campaign is under investigation by the FBI. He is under investigation, both houses and intelligence committees. Fur conduct over the course of the campaign involving Russia and his executive orders knee in regarding immigration are stalled in the court's his last legislative pushes failed. His party is running against him in a lot of fashion he's at war with his party. This is not a white house that is functioning well and to say otherwise strikes me as it is difficult to defend. I want know anybody who was saying anything the coup there, the ethical issues,

It was whether its meaningful or not in the larger political contacts, which is to say the people that aid was talking about, they don't care at the White House is running well or not. What they care about is him how he is behaving, what their hearing about what it is that he is pushing him. Promoting and they don't know whether it's happening or not, or whether you know whether the exact the border is gonna, go through or not it's dead, he pushed it that matters that they could. They could prevent its people from coming ever not prevent people from coming in, as form of anti immigrant, virtual signalling the executive order has done its job with the people that you know who already support him politically, a bad. Functioning white has doesn't necessarily harm a president if, if it doesnt matter all that much how the president, what the president gets done

you know, the question was trump that we don't know is does will his people need him to be effective or will his constant seem willing to them that he is one of them and pushing where dressed in this cabal of media types and Democrats, and you know the judiciary, this whole cabal of latest is stopping him, but the but he's got their back well. Yeah. I've spoke some of these societies phantom than the contests recently and for one thing they real to the smaller bits of news that that are favourable. Mr, while he's he's wrong about regulations, he's undoing Obama's climate, Yet you some pipeline and lie lead and cold climate stuff, and they, look. It's so early now he's

to take another run it health care. It's too early is No one knows you ever had so early in everyone's pronouncing him dead. That's that's! That's their take Well, I mean they're right, obviously aware you, you can't look at somebody's, been present for two and a half months and say: ok, he's done like that's ridiculous. I built booklet and, as we ve said constantly here had a terrible first couple of months and obviously was a term president. So it's an and that a terrible couple years- and you know last a mammoth midterm election and still one you know

what a landslide in ninety six in his second election to to secure the presidency. So that's what matters and that's what we saw the comic Eric meaning and not us, but the people in Commentariat are dancing around as though it would be like if Brok upon was just elected. Its two thousand, nine and all were doing are talking about his most abbot supporters, who believe and all their hearts that he's gonna pay their mortgage bill as though they matter it. They didn't MAC, twenty ten, they didn't come out and he lost the house, and that was basically the end of an effective presidency for rock upon him and that's what we should be talking about is whether or not this presidency is going to be effectively neutered by voters and twenty eighteen right. Well, so the great trick here would be that Obama's

defeat was a robot was defeats were consequence of his success. That is that he didn't recover from these wild legislative successes. He had trillion dollar stimulus, Dodd, Frank, partially. Whatever efforts he made to partially nationalize the auto insurance industry, the second half of tarp, and, of course, a bomb care. And all of that is what created the backlash to him. That ended the effectiveness of its presidency, not so deeply that he was that it was impossible for him to be real acted since he was re elected, but EU car. You, as I have argued that that also is what led, fundamentally to the loss of nine tendencies and twenty fourteen, and you can even say

the loss of the presidency and twenty sixteen, so Obama was killed by his successes in this case, the question is: if Trump is proving to be an ineffectual leader when his pitched everybody was how he was going to be the guy who could make deals and he knew it is that gonna harm him? And I wonder I wonder, maybe it doesn't harm him, because we're sorted ideologically were sorted geographically were sorted in this way and the question is the intensity of support when it comes to elections and you know it's not as though the people who voted for him or give him, even though, as we ve, seen to add some remarkable new mapping by by that decision, desk h Q, which has now mapped the twenty six teen election versus the two thousand and eight election

precinct by precinct across the country. Then we can see this shift from about voters who shifted it, particularly in the northeast from Obama to trump from two thousand and eight two thousand, and sixteen and it's Olivia, visual, the boy you can see, you know a sea of blue turning. To a sea of red having said that you know I don't know, I don't know, what's going to happen, if he's in effect Well, maybe the story is the country doesn't feel so terrible. The country doesn't like Washington thanks everyone screwed up in the elites. Honourable, but clearly economies growing, a two percent and the baby, so we're not overhaul. Obama care were not there. We're not gonna do any fundamental change of anything.

We're just gonna, be whether you're on the side of the white Working class or not or straight line, projections which are inherently fallacious Bellamy indulge in one. We have a situation where this continues in perpetuity where Donald Trump is at war, with conservatives, where his nothing very dramatic to tat very few accomplishments and the very figure of Donald Trump energizes progressives in a fashion that we haven't seen and quite some time and that reciprocity by the way. There is no doubt that Oppermint West it go from blue to read that the South West is gone for, read the blue. That's out this, how the thing works, coalitions are bubble. One thing goes up, the other one goes down, so we could have just as many conditions that portend day a progressive wave election. Twenty eighteen Allah, two thousand six, if their candidates- and if there are enough there Firstly, as well as we as we said nets. I can't remember the math here, but the it's

you heard about the Senate like there's almost no way for Democrats to win the Senate, it would be a miraculous, miraculous, victory of a totally unprecedented nature, if they can take the Senate back because of the. How many seats of Democrats are up and Trump states that really give you the sense that the Republicans can, even if they do really well, Republicans, can win two or three seats from them and they could maybe You know so that they would be the matter couple way where they would be in the heart of the matter, but also, I think too, earlier, point burning, duration, where trumps inability to to get things done is sapping some potency from his enemies. Campaign against him went Wendy who was looking like. He was going to transform the country indeed and in accordance with his own, while the image of of what things what was needed It was an all hands on deck emergency we ve got

get this guy out here. We ve got to mobilise mobilized if he's now, just a clown that had may so that we see it. We have a special election right now in Georgia, where Democrats are throwing everything they have got at a candidate who is a real outside chance. Today, a red seat away from reports, actually the seed of Tom Price. Now the health and Human service secretary, there are thirty one year old, liberal democratic. God I saw who actually has very good credentials, are running a rational race pray one, it was sixty two percent of the vote and twelve sixteen they ve given he's. Three million dollars for a race that ordinarily, someone would spend two hundred fifty five hundred thousand dollars in, but it is not a is really

neither did I could they should, rather than most likely, they will lose it. But the fact of the matter is that this guy is raising millions of dollars. Democrats are itching chomping at the bed to demonstrate a come back and what's more at present, is never enough to totally ineffectual as the executive orders of things that he's doing, you know congratulate since to liberals that Barack Obama broke a little broke, the mould on using eggs? Kit of, and we know and sort of vat administrative, stayed state, oddly enough as is cats law to give Donald Trump the way to do it back to a blip and so they will have meat. They will have stuff. They have this roll back. The clean coal Clean Power initiative. That was a essentially of review.

Of executive orders and regulations to try to shut down the coal industry, and that is also the environmentalist crowd- has an issue there, along with the Keystone pipeline, signing in some things that the administration can do by fear Mommy's earlier judicial appointments and things like that that the breaking of the filibuster- which I think will inevitably happen either now or with the next Supreme Court Justice, if it's not corset, which probably will be so they can run against like running roughshod over that in this, and that the other thing so that they'll have enough. They'll have enough to do enough to use the voters and scare them in their pursuit of the ongoing ethics issues which are driving people crazy. You know the emoluments and the question of the money that the Trump organizations gonna make the lack of transparency of attack. And then this employment of Jared Anna Vanka, both in the I'd house, which you know pair

We, as there was a just farmer ruling that the nepotism laws don't apply to the president's personal style However, it is really weird that he should have his son in law and his daughter is to close the states in the way and lick officially in the White House, made no effort to divest for as far as I understand from the trunk organization, at a personal brands, speaking of which We also have a story today that Steve Ban and has Travers has has violated ethics laws by being in direct communication with the company that he running until January twentieth, so you know, there's enough to keep people in a state of outrage of it. Legitimate discomfort I'm not saying ginned up stuff, this stuff is Adam. You knows no point. Obviously conservatives and Republicans don't want to think about this, but this

That is bad. It's bad! It's discomfitting him and it doesn't look good in. Of course, the press for moral logo which, whose you know occupancy ray it's gonna be an issue for for him and mean always filled out and we haven't even touched things, everyone happened yet about what kind of deals the Trump Organization under blunder. His sons, Aragon and Donald, are gonna, do not organise strike over the next eighteen months. So my point is Republicans need something more than relying on their historic tendency to turn out more in mid terms and just the understanding that it would be super bad of Democrats took the house. They have to have something to defend and if they don't and prepared progressives have a whole lot to get jazzed about. It's gonna be a rough election for Republicans. To the point where they only have to lose twenty somewhat seeds. Ok, what about cultural issue? So here's here's my point so interesting flare up overlap, twenty four hours is this story. The king

bad about how my pants, the vice president, will not. Dying alone, with a woman, not his wife or attend events. Lord, at his, where they serve alcohol without his wife. Both these things are conventional, even BP. These are conventional deals and even in marriages between evangelical Christians and liberal Wilson, secular liberals and people in the media, bubble, inevitability thoroughgoing absolutely hog wild crazy about how this is crazy, and it's just so weird, and it you can this be it how it doesn't happen, it discriminates against women for employment yeah because he won't have dinner with them alone. You know like that. So here's what s interesting about this, like This is a huge cultural divide. Like they're saying it is weird for people to is publish rules for marriage that that privilege.

The sanctity of the marriage over other aspects of life and an essentially are acknowledged of it, Religious terms of the temptations that you were supposed to avoid in order to of a moral life and a happy life and have a happy marriage. Though my marriage, The work life had em you now, I'm in My wife has dinner with people she's a talent agent. She has to do that, may have dinner with friends and that sort of thing, but I certainly acknowledged. Not only the the right of my pants to us, but the, people, but obviously it works for them, so it would suggest a certain degree of wisdom in them in the functioning of this, but this culture war against it so but let lit leads you to believe that you know you can have this incredible divide where the media echo chamber is my pants is weird for being evangelical christian working on making sure But his marriage is a sanctified one according to his religious beliefs, and if you think that that world

those ideas are in part of what got Trump elected your very wrong. That's one of the reasons that eighty one percent of EU angelically voted for Trump yeah. Well, let's not forget it trumpets- and I know, but I'm using That'S- why Donald Trump Big Business, neither him aside it the backlash to come, derivative traditionalist lifestyle and, to the extent that liberals are responding to things. My pants never said to the two like that you can't have any contact with a woman in a setting that is in prison. All. That is our where you're alone, like they're, making up conditions that he talked about, which he never said. But then there is the other side of that which is even Jellicoe Republicans, who now are pretty sure that there are no conditions under which you can be with a woman and is in a closed setting. Who is not your wife that is not disrespectful or otherwise a temptation that is ill suited to anybody who respectful towards your wife, really bizarre sore

disingenuous. Cultural posturing that I dont think really is merited by situation. I don't, I don't think it's merited, but these are again these are deserve. This is all a signalling of secular verses were lit life in which secularism and the idea that you no one does not, ply moral strictures to one's personal life and the idea You should apply and must apply moral structures to your personal life in order to live in, giving full and proper life, even if use sin all the time peoples to fail at meeting these obligations all the time. That is the major debate even the United States, the secular verses, religious or by the way, the second a verse, religious or wanna, be religious or at least people who who pay lip, service to religion, even if they don't live by it. That is the divide in american life and if you think that can't be joined up at a mid term election, you know it's certainly can think that

is the story of how Obama said the Senate and twenty ten remember was the remark. Some of these very conservative republican senatorial candidates. Richard Murdoch about rape and sexuality and stuff like that. That got that game an opening seats. The Republican should have but in Indiana, Delaware, M M in Nevada, that the candidates and CARE Missouri, today, twenty twelve, of course it is ok, but basically they serve petrol uses of you know conservative tone deaf, weirdness and grossness. On some of these issues. Well, yelled, the liberals, liberal conservatives can pay back with liberals. Do of liberals. Keep pushing this idea that therein

I've. Styled choices are sick and weird and strange when there actually just about the perpetuation of monopoly, mammography relations, will you know and and might pants occupies very specific place in the progressive imagination he is he's like he has been now kind of book men for them, because Trump has does not come out in. You know, speak out vocally against against alternative lifestyles and and trans issues and things like that, but they have to pin it on this administration and- and they have a whole lot of an anthem onto pence right so that that's going, that's gonna keep happened, they gonna keep forcing him into that home, so the very thing that can help them recruits. Candidates and generate enthusiasm and donor enthusiasm in the mid terms can also be the thing that causes the republic.

Backlash to them. That will say, preserve the House and Santa. That's all I'm saying let's move on to know as very interesting post today about the provocations from Russia and, to a lesser extent, Turkey, that are facing the Trump Administration and how the Trump administration means. Responses or lack of responses are creating the conditions for the north trouble etc. Noah can you you ve, been out your theory. Well, we been focused very much on the houses,

intelligence committee investigations respectively into whether or not the drums campaign had connections with russian agents. The house investigation has devolved into this wild political affair, which doesn't serve anybody's interests very well. It's actually kind of repulsive to watch. That

the Senate is a little bit more demure, but nevertheless this is going to take some time and it's sort of a distraction honestly from the extent to which american interests are imperilled by russian actions abroad. For the last two months we ve had american military officials. Nato officials testified before Congress that Russia is providing support, we're not sure what kind, perhaps material, perhaps otherwise, along with Pakistan, and ran to the Taliban in Afghanistan, where we have thirteen thousand a native soldiers operating in defensive, afghanis sovereignty and people are dying. Russia is mobilizing in Egypt in order to likely intervene in Libya. That's gonna coming up in the next couple of weeks. According to american officials testifying before Congress, we have a significant russian deployment. Syria, where american officials are american military members, are also deployed, often in the very same cities. We obviously have the ongoing situation in Ukraine,

we're american allies are imperilled by directly by russian military hardware. We have diplomatic intervention, not just in the elections, but in the french election in the german election all to affect russian interests which are directly threatening to american interests and all of this to the silence of Donald Trump, and we have an opportunity over this week to witness how Donald Trump sort of behave, like Barack Obama did when his interests abroad, his grand design, was threatened by events. Brok Obama was conspicuously silent when the Green Revolution or up did in IRAN, who is equally silence you design, I'd when when the election was stolen, em a protest was savagely put down by the iranian government, equally silent and twenty fourteen, when similarly violent protests erected in venezuela- and this was towards a political end, the end was he wanted. I thought with ran. He wanted

thought with Cuba, which then, as well as big patron Raw Donald Trump, had an opportunity to say something about Russia. When we saw the biggest protests we ve seen erupt in Russia since early training, fifteen well so too please it's twenty eleven within twenty one, I would say I argued early twenty fifteen boardgame software organised demonstrations in opposition to Russia's intervention an invasion and annexation of territory in Ukraine, political demonstrations for which he paid with his life Donald Trump, could have said something he didn't. His state department could have set some it took them twenty four hours or more actually to formulate sort of mealy mouthed responds to the mass arrests of political figures, journalists and just Jenny russian sit okay, so disseminated in opposition to Putin drums silence in the face of these merely threats to american national interest is conspicuous. It's giving his opponents opposition in the position ammunition, which they need to undermine

his presidency and its weary. Okay, so currently? The only argument here is that something is going on We know what the hell is going on and we got us up overdoing until we find out what the hell it is we know that the the secondary idea here would be that the Trump is very loath to be directly critical of Putin for, and we don't know the reason. Maybe these below since twenty fifteen, we don't know why, and we now have all these possible allegations of the benefits to the Trump campaign from Putin's interference. And all of that are whether it's just that he likes Putin, strength and wants to emulate it or what whatever you want, a slice it right so. So you are. Alleging, but you worse or of using that as the backdrop for

What the hell is going on thing now, I'm gonna argue two different things and what you guys to respond. One of them is to the question of the lack of response so in a fully staffed administration, where there is a you know where there is a tall Lee Staffed State Department and Defense Department, M intelligence service and various others, because I sat there is a cost the ongoing process of following the news following things coming up with policies coming up with alternating policies and statements and things that need to be said in response to something. So the american government has an official response to everything that it needs to respond to. I took twenty four hour Serbia response to State Department. I do not believe that is because as this process was functioning. I think it's a mark of the incredible dysfunction. The fact that

something like ten percent of the political appointments of our lives, early in the government, have been filled, had involve people in the third, no one's working of the State Department in the senior positions. Literally, we're talking about. We have a secretary said. We now have a definite secretary. We don't have an assistant secretary of state for european affairs who handles Russia. We don't got nothing there. We have almost nobody at the Pentagon, there's a bunch of theirs. The ever see the necessary council is rather fully staff, but it is not yet we know even always doing stuff there, and they are also tripping over themselves and there was obviously a replacement of the national security adviser. When would Michael Flynn laughed and now you know, I mean a charming master, who was never had a job like this? It's just learning how it works So I think a you're seeing the costs of this rookie incompetence and lack of staffing. That's number one.

Number two. Maybe Donald Trump, isn't saying anything about Russia's behaviour because isn't care enemy isn't care because Putin and because he's got interests I mean he doesn't want to talk about things that don't jazz him that don't like pushes button so he's happy. However, they are times five times a day. And about its coverage and complain about crowd size, and you know talk about all this petty stuff, but the bring that we hire a president for which is to manage our relationship with the provocative, inappropriate, defend and protect the constitution and from all threats, foreign endemic Stick, he doesn't care about its. You could care less. It's not! You know. He doesn't want to Other within the just wants them, glad hand and say stuff for them go off and golf when he does care about, however, is his image in his presidency and the extent to which his political position is undermined by events

abroad when he was. How do we write? I went home saying when he was asked directly by Reuters about what american officials have been testified before Congress regarding Russia's violation of the intermediate range nuclear forces treaty. Russia have moved missiles to operational theatres within central and southern Russia, which directly threaten NATO allies which undermine America's influence and in Europe and which undermine congressional interest in creating some sort of bipartisan deal, spurred nuclear arms reduction for, big threat. Donald Trump says asked directly about this. This is a big deal and I will be bringing this up when I talk about meat with Putin, whenever the heck that is which isn't happening He responds freely off the cuff to these sorts of things. He doesn't have any function about weighing on events, whether or not its diplomatically sensitive or not that's a yes compunction, I'm saying he just doesn't care, but also I'm I'm offering you a third

explanation, which is somebody says that what do you do about the intermediate rages like well, it's a big job, I'll talk when I want to talk to a mile brigade, so he has the sense with, as that, the overall understanding of the sense that he is in a position where he has to say something because otherwise it would be that yeah That's very limited, like you know, he's sitting there saying the way look he's a he may not be, isolation of Cesare in our understanding. But his line is like I'm here to care about America. I'm not here care about blah all the stuff of broad and everything like that. I'm a present for Americans in America, and that means I'm not going to waste my time. Thinking about all this nonsense, I don't care what let the Syrians kill themselves now. Let this go that I'm here to make sure that carriers in two thousand jobs across the mexican border or something like that and his send a structure, may not be. You know, everybody else wants. We presents dream of being president forever in his like I'm gonna get out like make peace in the world or something like that. He, like

I want to do is like yell at the New York Times. Yet that's what makes him happy you. I don't think there is any evidence of any of this is specific to Putin. I think I think he's of the belief that we start getting involved in sticking up for further human rights abroad, that's when we start losing that that gets us into trouble that that that hampers us, that that that ties her hands and what and also at the same time it has to be said he their his administration has not rolled over in any way for four pollutants since its since its she's. Coming I mean he. Pursuing is pursuing a nuclear weapons. Revamping something pollutants, not happy with it all he has put off as you as you alluded to his put off meeting with Putin that Moscow that Moscow has requested,

We will be meeting with it with many world leaders before he gets round me with Putin There's a story in the Wall Street Journal today in which administration officials are expressing doubts. As to as to any any, not doubt really but frustration with the items that Russia is isn't that cause is causing you ass. I have written many times that I don't see any quid pro quo, any reciprocity for russian intervention on behalf of Donald Trump. What I am saying here is the fact that he is not getting out in front of these issues in defence of american national Interests is going to really damage him when these things blue yet mean in american soldiers killed and those russian fingerprints on it have Ghana, stand and ran Donald Trump and said nothing and beforehand about that it. The programme the perception out there is that he's overly favourable to run and that could kill him now that we have one of these real serious operation, Russia that undermine american interests

he's a seventeen year old man he's never read a book about foreign power, we'll see he doesn't care about. Foreign policy accepted things everybody's an idiot. These are, complicated issues. They require a certain level of veto of at least familiarity from reading the newspaper, there's no evidence that he does unless the story has his name in it and he's sitting there too giving all day and night about piracy slides, and I see no evidence to indicate that the complexity, of our relations with Russia Which are multifarious particularly given our interest in destroying, you know the soaring ISIS sin and whether they can somehow player oh now, while we simultaneously prevent them from somehow

taking over Syria dominating Syria and whether or not there some had a grand bargain going on and that they are trying to push about rebel, removing our influence from below the russian there. Broad, nor that he could care less about that, and he doesn't agree with you that it'll hurt him or if he again it was you that would hurt him he's. Not gonna change really does things because he's self, indulgent and lazy, he's intellectually lazy and he's lazy about this job. You know I've always said for years like when people complained about how Push went on vacation and Obama with EM vacations. Like it's ridiculous. Presently, insights doesn't take a vacation he's never on vacation. You gotta think, is briefing if anything happens, got tat. You know, so you go. He changes. Scenery points with while a trump has been in office. Seventy days he looks like he's on vacation. Every five days are being spent hours at the golf course. He goes and hangs out a moral

Although he has dinner the day walks around, you know fairly, disappears into into the house. Six hundred thirty watches tv all night, like he's not he's not here, job. He is dealing with this job like it's a ninety five job or or part time and tat. Yet self this is the first time in my lifetime that you can see that the job is not wearing the guy down in terms of the burdens like he just ignores the boy since show me where he looks like he's burdened by history, he hasn't been. No history is taking place. You know very famous photo of a candle lit situation in Malta, where he's receiving an emergency briefing regarding North Koreans missile launch and there's all this product activity behind him in everybody's blurry and Donald Trump is staring longingly into a camera ahead of him smiling coyly with his with his hand. You know cocking up his head, just looking like you

and have a care in the world. It really was an image, define wearily parted the spread. So what does this mean that? What does it mean in practical terms? It means that Jim matters is the presently made states when it comes to anything it's going abroad. Maybe Rex tellers- and we hear that tell us of matters- have formed a friendship and there on the phone all the time of their talk while a time clearly, Jim Madness is out basically making policy for the administration almost single handedly, since there is no evidence of a real interagency process are what what this increased activity and Syria the increased aggressiveness in our fight against ISIS, which may have been the result of a presidential directive, but you know which, which has now led to this terrible fact,

you know we're now engaging in Mosul in civilian areas and people are dying as a result of it. But that's all him. That's all madness. Trumpets like having these conversations about where what the operational You now commitments are in the areas around, nor in Syria and and and muscle, do you think Those were Mosul. Is they re really thinking? Those are mostly is now I know, but I wish I excellent rack, but but I was given that much locate. Well fine. Does he know where the borders between Iraq? There is. Border between Syria, but am I you know? I mean. I also assume that this thirty day plan for his fur general to draw An anti ISIS pilot die destroy LAN right. Some version of that has happened.

What is happening in this is and he's simply o king would at whatever whatever they have come to him with right and you know it. So what happened you know and then, of course, the other great problem is the total unreliability of the way the White House responds to anything, so they had as bad as mission. You know in the and and and things went awry and they are telling us that it was a great operational success and there's no evidence of it. But you know maybe

was: maybe it wasn't by chance. Wiser tells you that something has happened, that it was really good. You just have literally no reason to believe that. What are you saying is true now and then it gets all offended me says: you're, real failure of your defaming the people who died by refusing to accept that you know by by not simply accepting on faith that what that what happened on the mission wasn't in a wild success in intelligence terms, as opposed to actually doing the credit to the to the sacrifice of the people who died too, to find out the truth that we should ever really know what the truth is exactly if its deeply now classified that's really important information that should be shared. On the other hand, if you say that it was a wildly successful mission, which we got all sorts of wonderful intelligence, your kind of blowing, but the mission was for in the first place so but

that's another problem with the way the dysfunctionality, the white houses. You know that, even when you were being lied to or misled by a White House before now, or we know that enormous efforts were made to hold to the contours of fact or truth to the extent possible, even to give a college even to give a kind of verisimilitude to the to the deceit that was being practice.

Ouch as this one guy this one, you know not very impressive guy, like blather, ring on angrily. You know getting more angry with you will say really. Is that really what you know then, of course, this actually horrendous moment this week when he's having a colloquy with with with it with April Ryan, this african american report already set or don't shook, shake your head at me, like she was a nine year old girl. I find that whole episode cell contrived because allspice has ever done, is attacked behaviour. A male reporters of white reporter. And then Ryan has the temerity to go on CNN and suggest that this is the result of sexism. I started so don't agree with you on this. I watched that my watch that moment for five times and saying you don't have daughters, Noah but saying don't shake your headed,

IE is something that a father says to his eleven year old daughter, which is when she's rolling her eyes or shaking her head and her father is not a normal. It is not a normal thing. Man says to another man when he's angry at him, it is something that you say to a child. Particularly Rachel oil child, you would also say done interrupt means lets the act like adults, which is exactly what he said to junk are all right, but donor troubling you act like adults was also us, but it didn't have that cringe Dawson quality, I'm sorry it had it. I wish I thought otherwise you think it's you think it's contrived. I think it was a sort of weird you know moment it was like you know, I'm doing you a favor by talking to you, lady, you know, don't you Missy dont, you roll your eyes at me. You get there, they literally been making fun of the amounts in it s an owl rather for the like, but use,

its contrived amount tickets contriving its contrived? Well, I don't people write a joint write her moment in the sun ape whose right, if I answer dont chick ahead of me, I think, as I think it's enormously and semi tragically problematic, that both of you eat that either cases right that he speaks to males and females. Doubts and children and and black people and white people in a completely unacceptable way for someone disposition. I I really have to say that the idea that he is still in a job is the most distressing example of White House dysfunctionality and we, whatever whatever benefit the trumps, seems to think that he is getting and obviously he didn't want spice. Originally, he wanted Loring memory wanted Kelly and Conway wanted to put wouldn't do any spacer was somehow the kind of third choice are for.

Choice in Gaza. Get him out of there because, like it's all it all All this is happening here is a kind of daily. You know sort of confrontation meaningless, pointless confrontation that a more able and literate- and less, you know, but that's that's how you were a mature agree, because I dont know how you put a different gloss on on the news coming out of this administration I mean there there's no way to do it. It's almost like it's there. The burden of the Journal of American of American affairs- you know you you're you're, trying attach something more elevated to this. This disastrous illogical anti intellectual thing. You it's very high to give a reasonable account to the press

What's going on in this? Mr illustration, that's true, but yes could somebody do it better? Yes,. The answer is yes like get out You know you ain't, you have. I have a hard job to do, but there are people who can do it better slicer was not very was, was pretty media a person when he was the Republica National committee- is even more mediocre here by the way the defenestration pod potential. If that's what happened to defend a of Katy Walsh is probably not a good portent for private for first by surrogacy, spicy is also one of previous people. Previous coming over from the air and Sea K, while she's out premises, the guy who is supposedly you know where was Ryan's guy in the White House, helping push the American Healthcare ACT, so maybe his neck is on the chopping block. Maybe spices, Lech as I was a you know. Who knows

Nobody knows all that is interesting, however, and will conclude on this. Is that Stephen Miller, the famous you know Jeff sessions aid who drafted the executive order? the travel ban and various other things has somehow magically was Seriously disappeared from our air waves in the last month asks Kelly was nowhere to be seen, but I dont know we: Maybe this man anyway. So we come to an end of another, Podcast of which we have solved all the problems, we can start a new and fresh world again, before a Green Walden harassment. I'm John put words, keep the candle brain.