Reflecting on Health and Future Outlook

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Once again, that's clubrandom.com. I've had the vote against my caucus alone. I mean somehow you're the suspect Democrat, the guy in the hoodies. Coming up on the fourth anniversary of when I died from that stroke. But your your health is good, never better. Physically, mentally, everything. How you knowing? Oh hey, there he is. Hi. How are you, big man? Yeah. Thank you for seating because I know if you stood you'd tower over me, I'd look like a shrimp. Yeah. I see you wore your good shorts. Were you making a speech on the Senate floor? Yeah, I know. I mean it could be. I was never trying to change any dress code. Like it you know, Schumer was just trying to be kind, assuming that it was referencing me. And then I found out. I'm like, Oh my God, everyone's gonna think I was like trying I'm like no I Well Maybe you weren't trying, but when you show up like that in a place like the Senate, people are going to notice. Yeah. And it's you know. Yeah, I it never really occurred to me how how strange that must seem. Well To me, that story Always Illustrated the big problem, of course, I think we both agree that goes on in this country, which is everything is becomes a political battle. Everything is just a an excuse. To say your team is stupid and my team is great. It has nothing to do with anything. You know what it's like to me? The ballroom. Trump's ball room. You think can we talk about that? It's like who gives I who give I don't give a fuck about this. It's like yes, you need I mean, you've been there, I'm sure you'd seen like they have these tents and it's it's crazy. And like Now I was a table away when that assassination Oh you were and and and it just I'm like I was stunned just walking in. You have the entire line of succession right there. And Yeah, could you just imagine? I mean you we all remember Oklahoma bomb, right? Yes. They could have had someone, you know, in a room up there, boom, and you could have decapitated the you know, our nation just in one thing with You know, a couple thousand dollars a uh dynamite and thing. It's and again you can be, as we do, opposing Trump on everything that's important. If you are a person out there who just hates the ballroom, that is a Rorschass test on you, that you go by the If I hate this person, then I just happen to hate everything they do. Yeah. And it's silly because this is the United States of America. We do need a place to have state dinners. You know what it is, John? It's the ter it's the word ballroom. It's a funny word. It it connotes like some sort of gallivanting around an eighteenth century fops with w powdered wig a ballroom. If they called it we're putting an estate dinner. uh pavilion. Yeah. Absolutely. And from a security from a security issue too now. As as drone technology continue to evolve, it it creates it even more more dangerous and And the thing like by the time we will be forced to vote on that. And then I'll I'll be like, do I vote no because right because because oh yeah, we we have we have to hate that shit. You know? I mean, but we we can't y we can't just acknowledge, yeah, we should have a facility to accommodate these kinds of events. And you know, I've always I followed your story, how how long it took you to build Your structure, right? I mean, this thing won't even be finished by the time he's done. Right. And it and this idea he's not gonna build Uh a Dave and Busters? I mean it it's just it's it's it's just gonna be a ballroom. Are they going to make you vote on this? I I mean 'Cause it's publicly funded. Regardless at this point uh what uh whatever's damage done already, because I I haven't described it as disgusting or terrible, and if you use private money, that's terrible. If you use public money, well that's outrageous. And Now meanwhile the money is like One Angstrom unit of a percentage point of what our budget is. So it it doesn't matter anyway. It's it's couch money. And my race in twenty two was spent Three hundred thirty million dollars. That was the record at that time. That's quaint compared to twenty four and watch the cycle this year. Y Senate Senate seats are gonna be spending much more than just that to build a legacy structure for for the White House and that's only gonna be Um used From presidents that are not gonna be him. Three hundred and thirty million that is about what a ballroom costs. Yeah, exactly. You can either have a senator or a ballroom. No offense, I'll take the ballroom. The ballroom has a purpose. A lot of the senators you work with do not. No, I I said that's the T D S, this thing. You know, I I said that in one where If he If he came out for ice cream and lazy sundays, we would fucking hate it. And and the other s we the other side does it too. Uh but I don't care about them so much. I I would like The Democrats I mean we're both always on the same page here. We just people Attack us. Because they think we're picking fight. with the left we're not picking fights we just don't Like let it pass if we think something is stupid. Yeah, do you have to have a fucking opinion on everything? I mean, like we all we all have platforms and we all have a personal bandwidth. You have to choose what's your And I I don't chase these small, like weird things because it has no impact on The overall and but people They become uh just constant, constantly. They have to be at war. My advice to them I I did this as a bit one night because every time I've tried to learn meditation, which I'm not very good at, maybe you are. Um You know, it's a big thing. Uh people very respectable people like Sam Harris is a big meditation person, people I respect a lot, say it's very helpful for you. And they always describe it as, you know, meditating, clearing your mind. And we all have a million thoughts that are coming into our mind. And they say, Well, just let them pass like a cloud. Your stuff will come. Just let them pass like and I feel like this is what you have to do with Donald Trump. Uh go after the stuff that matters. The politicization of the Justice Department, the threatening of election. I mean all the stuff. And the stuff that like ballroom stuff, that's the cloud. It's just it doesn't matter. And if you chase it, it's m so much more about you. Yeah, well, him at that point. It's it's constantly like a churn. And the thing that Yeah, today the most out outrageous thing, the world's on fire. And then by Wednesday we've moved on to something completely different. And that's the next it's the next kind of crisis. And The conversation is increasingly driven by people that represent uh very blue. You know, the anti, the the resistance, whatever you want to call it. People that have never won like a like a an actual election that you know, you have to be in front of both kinds of people. and make the argument and just realize that there is another side. And they're all not fash fascists. They're not Nazis. They're not trying to destroy. They love the country just as much as you do, and finding a way forward. And that's the reality. That's the essence of democracy. And when you represent a state like Pennsylvania, that's a responsibility. And Yeah, it's easy and even you can be jealous where It must be nice to just a yell yell to the to sit in the peanut gallery. Yes, yeah. Peanut gallery is the Peanut Gallery now is like one of those fancy theaters now. The seats go back and they have a thing for your p food to put in and Oh, it's very exclusive. It's like twenty five bucks a ticket, but I think it's worth it. You were just sitting on peanut shells. The Democratic Party we can't resist our worst impulses as things continue to accelerate. We keep trying to get ahead of California. You know, like we you know, as a national party, we can't get ahead of California of these kinds of policies and this kinds of thoughts of of what we think it should be. If you believe in Medic uh Medicare for everyone, why don't we have it here in California? Why don't we have it in other blue states that could have do anything that they want to do? And there's a lot of realities. So you know, w why why can't we just slow down and realize call balls, call strikes. And remember All of our excess that really cost us in twenty twenty four. We will revisit a lot of the things and add a hundred million dollars behind that, and that people will finally remind that, Oh yeah, they they do have kinds of things that aren't compatible with My world view. I had uh governor on Friday night. Oh yeah, I I I yeah. Okay, so you'll appreciate this. So Uh you know, they always news people write about the show over the weekend, and uh I see in the the California Post, which is the New York Post now that we have it out here. I really think it's Yeah I do too. It's great to have somebody to keep the other side honest. I mean, some of it is trashy, that's fine. Some I enjoy some trash. And and it's too reflexively anti-democratic. But it's fun and and yes, there's also some actual very uh Credible writing in there from the right, which is which is okay. But I see They're talking about my interview with Newsom and it's uh well, Bill kept his f feet to the fire and Bill said when he started to talk about California, Bill said, uh you really think people are feeling that as he was bragging about the stuff in the state. So it looked like I was the hero there. Then I read the next day Trump tweeted that I was too easy on him. And so the story in the same paper is like ah, well, he just let Nusom off the hook. I wait a a day ago They just don't care. They're not they don't care what the truth is. They could what's gonna sell the paper today or be interesting today? You you can't even take it seriously. I mean since uh since I was here, um h have you seen the what's the Spencer Pratz? His last commercial, that AI about he's Batman. Yeah, oh you you have to see it because he has this AI commercial as Batman. And it put it put uh Mayor B Bass as the Joker. And they put Newsom as, you know, like Louis the four fourteenth, you know, eating cake. And I'm telling you, now like you know, whatever happens in this election. You know, any other election, I guarantee they are you know, like Uh it put him as like French, you know, eating cake and yeah, you should check it out because I will. And but he so he made it with AI, but ran it as a real campaign ad. I mean he's not denouncing it. Well can consider the other side, the Democratic side's their commercials are literally fuck Trump. Right. Yeah, like it just keeps cutting, you know, different people saying fuck Trump. And like Oh yeah, oh yeah, you're gonna love that in a purple state. Try try to try to win. And by announcing you know, the party's leader and and your and your voters, you know, like well that's your platform. Yeah, it's first of all, he can't be president again. Uh I uh that doesn't mean he won't try. Uh but even for people who didn't vote for him. doesn't appeal to me. This is the smartest thing you can say. Really? So Yeah. I mean I was never worried that he was gonna run for three terms. I I mean he he he's like the master troll. I mean, he he must love just Trump twenty eight, throwing out the hats and it's just meth. And then if he does try to run for a third term That means that makes uh Obama el eligible. And then, you know isn't America really wanting that to finally settle that anyway, who actually wins? 'Cause I I don't know, but it like that's just not gonna happen. But Yeah, but I mean first of all, he could do it. Uh I mean when I talked to him, he he did and I've heard him say it in other occasions, but he did say vaguely, you know, uh there's a way you could do it. And I remember saying to him, No, there's not a way you could do it. And again, this is what they got mad at me for reporting honestly that In private, when you talk to him like that, he doesn't get upset. When he said uh there's a way you could do it, and I just said blatantly, friendly, again, because when you're on when you're the claws are down. And I just said, There's actually not a way you could do it. He just laughed. You know? It wasn't like and then Dr. Jekyll goes away and Mr. Hyde comes out, who has to like call everybody out on everything and be completely DEF CON one about everything. I mean, this obsession he seems to have lately with I was so nervous at the white house that I had to have a drink right away. I mean It's like what a chick says about you when she's pissed off and you break up, you know, like he did this, he did No, I didn't do any of that. Uh Did I have a drink before dinner? Yes, as people often do, have a drink before dinner. Was it immediately? Of course not. Was I nervous? No. Partly because, again, he wasn't. Well, you were taking on the spectacle, right? I mean, and I mean you and I you know we were in a unique situation together. You know, uh he invited me to have uh dinner with him and Mar Lago in in January of twenty twenty five. And and I took a lot of shit for that. Like you know, I'm like he invited why wouldn't as a senator you know, have an opportunity to to to meet with him and yeah. And you did the same thing. And Why is that case? And he does listen in private. Yeah. I couldn't believe it. I keep saying to these people, these morons. He needs more people like us talking to him, not less. And he's willing to do it. It's the it's the people on the far left who are like, How dare you talk to Hitler? How dare you talk to Hitler McPedophile? You know, and if you characterize some in that way, of course there are people like the nut who was at the uh dinner you just mentioned. Who are going to take that seriously. No, that happens on the other side too. Rhetoric does cause action. Absolutely. But I mean well what was that like? I mean, you said you were a couple of feet away from You ever had one of those problems that sound simple until you're three hours in and questioning your life? Well. When that happens, why don't you check out Claude from Anthropic to help out? Claude is the AI for minds that don't stop at good enough. It's the collaborator that actually understands your entire workflow. And things with you. Whether you're debugging code at midnight or strategizing your next business move, Claude, extends your thinking to tackle the problems that matter. 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Try it for free at ziprecruiter.com slash random. That's zippercruiter.com slash random. Meet your match on ZipRecruiter. Y y yeah, well it's like you know, when you were you were describing your experience on your show Like you've you've seen that that that meme from Leo, like me, me, like I was like, Yeah, it that's the thing, the like gracious and measured, whatever that's a term used, that's that's his you know, in a personal level. And It's a much, much dramatically different the public face compared to when you're there. And he you know, we uh we hung out for seventy five minutes where I wondered if it was gonna be ten minutes kind of like hi bye and whatever. No, no, he he gives the time. Yeah, yeah and and that's it was Yeah. Yeah. Well, another thing I keep saying is He's not home reading the briefing books. He's a people saying guy. So be one of the people saying. It's the only way he gets information is through dialogue. Oh yeah, no, it's Okay, that's just the truth. I'm not even putting him down, although A president should definitely read the briefing books, but that's the world we're living in. We're with one who doesn't. So like conform to that a little bit. It doesn't make you uh somehow unpure, makes you practical and smart. Oh well it's like it's I it's funny, like he was giving like a speech at at some place in I think Florida. And he's like it you start talking about Dr. Oz. He's like look I he's like Dr. Oz I don't care about that medication. I don't care. Just do something. Yeah, like he just like just absolutely said that aloud. And and like that's that reference that perfection where it's like the the the the briefs and all that stuff. Like I like I don't care, Dr. Ross. I don't just just do whatever. I mean the things that he says aloud, the way he just voices His interior monologue There's there is something not exactly psychologically normal about someone who just vomits their interior monologue, but it gives him A authenticity with people that no one else can possibly match. I saw his interview with Nora O'Donnell. After the uh shooting like the next day. And uh She quotes the the Assassin. Uh who called him a pedophile Hitler or whatever you call. I mean, you know, pedoph you know, could any of the things be true? Yes, anything could be true, but like to to just go right to it's the ballroom s syndrome again. Let's just go right to the worst thing 'cause we hate this guy. And uh that pissed him off a lot. Um I could see both sides as a reporter, it is news. Uh also it's giving access to the president from the Terrorist, I would say, that's terrorism assassination, not you're giving his message. Okay, you could make a case for either one. But his reaction immediately was to her, you're a terrible person. And he didn't just think it. Any politician, that's exactly what they're thinking. He just says it. Like if that's what's in his head, you're a horrible person. You're a terrible you're a disgrace. You're a horrible person. And he just and it's like it's a it's the same time horrifying and also like it's kind of like refreshing. It's shockingly The honesty as someone who loves honesty and has made my career about it as much as I could. It is uh it's there's there's some level of it where you tip your hat and you go, Wow. Total honesty. You I think you're a horrible person and I'm just gonna say it. The the ultimate the Quiet Piggy. Right Yeah, That's the president of America. No, that's your quiet pig. That's why I I mean it it's like all you can do is just Yeah, like I don't get mad when he sends out these tweets anymore about me. It's like because the next day I feel like it's forgotten. Yeah, I don't know. A long time ago, yeah. I I don't know if he even he remembers. But I know he's I know he's working very hard to get you, or isn't he trying now to get you to become a Republican? I I mean I I I absolutely had to actively participate in an election that I absolutely knew that we'd go down. You know, like after the assassination, people have absolutely forgotten the difference between uh Zapruda or B Butler is half an inch. And that would have been that. And Uh, how horrific it is that horrific. Yes. Yeah. And I can't imagine the shape of our country if he has been. Uh yeah. Oh uh like I can't I can't imagine. Thank God, thank God, for a lot of reasons why that was unsuccessful. And People forgot that, I think in my in my views. And then after when you uh when When Anderson Cooper asked uh Harris, you know, so you think he she's a fa he's a fascist. Yeah, I do. I do. And that means Uh, people that well the if he's a fascist, that must mean, you know, I must be a fascist too and If you know and love a lot of people that have voted for him. I know they aren't fascist, and you kind of you I mean there are things the Trump administration has done. resemble what fascist governments do. That doesn't make him a fascist. I said ten years ago, before he won the first time. I thought this was a slow moving coup. In the sense that he was never going to voluntarily give up power. And he still really didn't. I mean he still is upset about the twenty twenty election. Which is an insane thing to do uh if you then won the twenty twenty four election. Because, okay. You this is the third act, and you know. The hero rises and of course he goes down in the second act and then he comes back in the third act. He doesn't then you know re-litigate the second act because you've already avenged it by becoming president again. No, I but he's still obsessed with it. I it's Wa one of the reasons why I was I was was eager to have a sit down where I'm like I was marvel I w I marveled at The the The most incredible political t you know turnaround ever, you know, like after January sixth, after impeached twice. Uh and you know you know and all the trials. Yeah, the trials and everything. And to to win, you know, every swing state and the popular vote. You know, the absolute kinds of uh of a reversal. And and it's like uh crazy. And and that's why uh there's some things that it they do I just don't understand. And Um Ye what you possible at that point and what you may choose to do, you know, I made that decision. I'm like, Well, I'm gonna agree with some things that I happen to agree. You know, and the things that I don't know and like I never voted for the big beautiful bill and those things. I've never voted for these kind of signature things that I think it isn't the right thing for the country. But I absolutely support the things that they've done. Well I think you vote With the Democrats ninety three percent of the time. I mean, it's hysterical to me that the Democratic Party which you vote with ninety three percent of the time. I because I feel like I I get the same shit from the same kind of people. It just I'm so glad that there's a number to put with it because Even when you're ninety three percent with them. Their attitude is so bad. They have such a bad attitude of you either be you either have the one true opinion, which we, the geniuses of the far left, know, or you're just somebody at at least suspect. Fifty two percent agree Trump should be president. And you know, the guy that represents them, you know, ninety three percent time And if I know you're not a believer in in marriage, but if you marry to someone and you agree ninety three percent of the time, that's probably be a pretty a great marriage. And I I'm mystified by and what's also on the other side. I've had Republican friends, you know, in office say They're like, you know, our internals. You're more popular with our people than than we are. How? And I I don't understand that either. Uh you know When I vote ninety three percent like a damn line. And I'm more popular with republicans. I I can't explain it. I j I tr I truly don't. And I'm finding myself in a strange in a strange place. When are you up for reelection? Twenty eight? Twenty eight. Oh. And and And uh you know, like the things that were really important to me, uh that was and I think you and I are largely agree with uh the circumstances in Israel after ten seven and the Gaza War and The Prime Minister and how that migrated into Uh Midnight Hammer. And of course the Iranian war. And you don't have the kinds of energy and outrage on the left after Iran just massacred thirty or forty thousand of its young people and now are actively now torturing, beating, and hanging teenagers right now, executing these people. No outrage. And and that's That's really maybe that's part of the fracture in my party. And and that's Probably and and those outrages that you speak about, those atrocities Those are only the outrageous new visible ones. What about the everyday atrocity that was living in the Iran under the Iranian regime. Now You know, people compare it to the Iraq War. In some ways it is, and some ways it isn't. Iraq and Iran are quite different countries. Sunni and Shiite, one I'm sorry, but just way more sophisticated than the other, and that would be Iran. Iran, under the Shah, yes, he was a a dictator also. But it was a fairly western country. It's a very it's a very sophisticated population. Have you seen the pictures? I I looked through a catalogue of of pictures of the Iranian society in the seventies. You know before the It it's it's Western and women are able to dress effectively the same way. Yes. And it's so it's so radical. That's the society And when I spend time here in LA I constantly encounter members of the Iranian uh community and they are all They're they're one supportive of my views. Right. And they all understand how awful the Iranian regime is. And and how evil and They want You know, you and I Free Palestine. No, where's the where's the protest? Free Iran. Free Iran. Why can't we have a free Iran? You know, like Where? Where why does that come from? And that is absolutely But what are we gonna do about it now? that it has devolved into this stalemate. I mean just yesterday. Uh first Well, first they announced the war part is over, we are on to Project Freedom, which is just about opening the straight, and that lasted like an hour. And they stopped doing that because I think what Trump fears a lot right now is he doesn't want one of our boats. To get sunk. That would be a good thing. And that could happen. In terms of that people have forgot the brutality and and real loss for that. And then that I think that's what the that's what defines that. You know, I was so nervous and just following so closely about uh about rescuing uh the pilot. You know? That would have turned the entire energy of that if if the Iranians would have got to them. Yes. And can you imagine I mean they're making Lego videos for propaganda. Can you imagine if they had an um an American pilot that can because I saw Owen Wilson in behind enemy lines. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. That is that exact movie. And that's that's I think that's part of the energy, but I think what's accomplished through with epic uh was very important. And uh it's astonishing. Uh to w what they be able to do. overall right now, I it it would be a huge, huge if you don't if you don't walk away now without requiring them to produce their nuclear material. How You know. I don't know how you can force them. 'Cause they've kind of shown we can take your best punch and let's be honest. The things that The reason why you and I both supported this war as a thing to be done. None of those objectives have been achieved. It's not a different regime. It may in fact be a worse regime because now the revolutionary guard probably is in command directly as opposed to having the mulahs above them wink wink, but they were really in command, but whatever it is. It's not the people we want who took over. Uh the protest from the people rising didn't happen. I've been saying that's because they missed their window. They should have attacked Iran while the people were in the streets. They let the people get slaughtered in the streets. Oh yeah, and that's the and that's probably the top echelon of the people who you want to be in the streets, the bravest ones. They killed them all. What's what's so disappointing to me is where is the global nation community, you know Demanding Iran at this point. You know, they're the it's like this idea, like this w every Democrat you can't ever let them build a bomb. You know and here we're here at the cusp. When would you ever have that opportunity to do And so it if Now The Democratic Party And a lot of the media has trained the Iranian regime. It's like we just have to hang on one more day, one more day. We have to because eventually people will lose their focus and just give up. And and that's I think that's the tragedy right now. But how do you I mean, again, the objectives, the people didn't rise up. The regime isn't changed. We don't have the nuclear weapons 100% secured, and then the Strait of Hormuz, which wasn't even on the table before the war. It should have been as an issue. So we lost the three things we wanted and gained one fourth one we didn't want. Um yeah, we knocked out uh some of their uh most of their military stuff. Okay. That's all to the good. But how do you actually get This nuclear dust, he calls it, whatever it is. Um we probably knocked out some of it with the bomb back in July, the big bump a bunker buster bomb, but we don't know. Apparently we probably didn't because we're doing this. Um we don't know unless we are actually in that mountain. How do you get in that mountain? They have a million man army that hasn't been talked about a lot, but they do have an army. So if you're gonna look at that mountain and what's in it, somehow you're gonna have to secure that area, which means I think you're gonna have to fight this million man army. And you don't want that, right? Well the truth is deciding to get help is hard enough. The last thing anyone needs is to spend hours fighting with insurance websites, wait lists, and intake forums that Make applying for a mortgage seem breezy? Well, that's why there's Rula. Rula is such a smart option. 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Visit rula.com slash random to get started. That's r-a dot com slash random. You deserve mental health care that works with you, not against your budget. Make your summer with Starbucks. Make it fun. Make it bright. Make it yellow. Make it unexpected. Make it miss the last train. Make it Friday vibes all week. Make it completely bananas. Make it Ocean Espresso, Latte, or Matcha Latte. Make it yours. Discover the new Starbucks iced caramelised banana range today. They'll make your summer. Subject to availability while stocks last. Uh well what I what I am what I'm saying is Uh You know, where where we at right now? Remember back two years ago in twenty twenty four and Sinwar was alive and the majority of the hostages were c at underground and our party was demanding for a ceasefire, ceasefire, ceasefire. And what the what Israel realized that you know we have to break and destroy Hamas and we have to we have to break and do the same for Hezbollah. And they've done that. And then they knew They all understand history. A country can't fight two wars on two. two fronts at the same time. So after they neutralized those two, they're able to go after uh Iran and then everything changed uh Midnight Hammer and they were able to s significantly damage their nuclear facilities. Now If there was a syr. And now where would I range a nuclear bomb? Be right now, you know, two years after that, if there was that ceasefire that we all demanded. And where would Hezbollah Hezbollah would have hundreds of thousands of rockets able to fire on Will. Yeah, and Things that we would never tolerate in our nation. You know, I had a room as uh Israeli uh politicians, I'm like You know, have you ever been in your bomb sh shelter in your home? Everyone hand goes up and I'm like Yeah. Well and now Democrats are voting against supporting the Iron Dome and those purely defensive things for for Israel. And that's that's the betrayal And that's heartbreaking to me. These were our core values. And and that's that's that's part of this fracturing. And maybe that's why I've lost uh support in part of the Democratic Party. Me too. I mean we're exactly the same way on this. We're we're really walking hand in hand because We can get shit about it and If there's one issue, I mean this whole big issue of Israel, the Middle East, Islamophobia, this whole because they're all connected, if there's one issue. Which makes me say to the far left. D. Asking me why I make fun of the left more than I used to. This is it. This is why. Because you're morally goofy. You're ignorant, you don't know history, you don't know the present either. Just when when you put it on that level where you where you just said the w would you. I like to do it to that because people don't know the history. They don't know the the facts. So you kinda have to just make it on that level for them. And I did it once. There was a a liberal woman who was sitting here and she was arguing about how horrible. I saw it. It's like where would you live in a Tel Aviv, right? Yeah. Yeah. If you had to live somewhere in the Middle East. And it was just a lot of like trying to scream over me, like whatever she could do to not answer the question, and finally did have to say yes, Tel Aviv. I mean, exactly. I mean ask any ISIS bride, you know how's the life, you know, you know ISIS, you know? Like Australia Australia now has finally agreed to to repatriate, you know, these ISIS brides, you know, these people these women in Australia realized, oh my gosh, that must be the caliphate, you know, living that life. And you know, ask ask any of 'em. Ask any of 'em. Just the concept of an ISIS bride, which is basically a sex slave. Uh but when your husband isn't fucking you, you have to wear the fucking beekeeper suit. So nobody else can even look at you. And these are the women who would be like How horrible the manosphere is. They're they don't respect women at all. Let me go join someone who will put me in a tarp all day. cover me like I'm a motorboat engine. I mean they they are so morally goofy and liars, you know, they put that whole thing out for the longest time about how Israel was starving, the Palestinian people. You know, that was part of the thing in Gaza, part of their uh yes, people were starving because the Hamas stole all the food. Exactly because Hamas wants the people to die. That is first of all, they love being martyrs. Лет'счна gloss over that. That's part of the whole. religion dominated culture. Martyrdom is good. They have words for it. That's why they strapped bombs to children. Okay. So again, you're morally goofy if this is the team you want to be on. And Israel didn't starve them. First of all, no other nation on earth at war would ever be even asked to feed their enemy. Oh yeah. Okay. So but Israel always has to play by a different set of rules. Okay. So they're gonna feed their enemy. They tried. The food was stolen by the same people who, by the way, had an enormous bomb shelter. The whole country was a bomb shelter. It was their tunnels. But they wouldn't let the people in them. Yeah, w a and they they would use the hospitals, they would use the schools, they would use that civilian facilities for for the the attacks. You know, Sinwar described Palestinians as necessary sacrifices. You know? plan. It's like they don't care how many Palestinians were were killed. And that's part of the pro or that's part of the problem too, having to engage in a war that doesn't care. Because how many civilians suffer. They don't care. And and in fact they celebrated, in fact. And I know you have your problems, John, but I live here in Hollywood. I have to live amongst people, most of whom who think it's cool to wear the kafaya. To the Oscars and to say, you know, free Palestine. As if Palestine would be liberated by living under Hamas. By the way, Israel, geniuses educated on TikTok, was liberated in 2005. By Israel. Israel gave it back and said, here, you have your land again, you do something with it, and this is what they did with it. Yeah. They made it into a fortress, didn't spend it on the people, or turning it into any sort of it could have been Dubai. I I agree. And I sat with Bill Clinton. We were campaigning in Harris and I was like, Hey, thanks for your work. And Clinton he reminds it's like Yeah we offered them ninety six percent of the West Bank and East Jerusalem was the capital. You know, here you go. For twenty five years they could have rebuilding that into Dubai or whatever that they want. They did not want a two state solution. Their one state solution, you know, as you Always point out, like From the river. See what's in there. Exactly. I mean yeah. Just look at a map. We know where the river is. Or would know how to look at. Yeah. They don't uh again, it's especially frustrating out here because People out here, they're actors, so they just want a cause. They want to do something about free Palestine identified. But that's as far as they've looked into it. They don't look past the buzzwords. They're talented. They're not bright. N name the one pro Israel band that played at Coachella. You know, they start they they started they're they're set. You know, Israel or whatever. Uh th it does not exist. But there's constant kinds of there's an Irish Yeah, those assholes uh kneecap or whatever. Right. Yeah. And they they even went to Cuba. As if Cuba has suffered. Oh, yeah. As if Cuba hasn't suffered enough. Yeah, and Irish rep group. Yeah, and in thir in thirteen hundred sunglasses walking around like the the communist paradise. Yeah. Yeah. Oh I Is that Code Pink who did that? Yeah. Like Yeah. Yeah. Code Pink and all these things. Okay. But here's the backstory. We Did the uh move in Venezuela, which has That one you have to say worked pretty good. Yeah, well, remember the people lost their shit over Venezuela. No one talks about Venezuela anymore. And and and that's my point. No. People people also I'm sorry, let me say this that you know we're not talking about Gaza anymore. And people forgot, like, yeah. We, you know, ended the gods of war, brought the everyone back home as as well too, and this idea that uh what is the freak out of the day. Yeah, we're not talking about these things. We've all moved on, and I guarantee by the time this drops, there will be one or two more that you know, part of th this conversation. It usually comes up now. When people say and this could be true. They say, well, Trump saw how well Venezuela worked, he thought he could do it in Iran. Yeah, maybe that affected his thinking somewhat. Iran is not Venezuela, okay? I mean, uh you know, Bar Barzini is not Tartaglia, sorry. It's gonna be a lot harder. But Venezuela kind of worked. I mean, nobody died on our side. It was very clean. Um The idea in that country where you could get rid of this really bad dictator and bringing su bring in somebody who wasn't um from the opposition exactly, but someone who was like, Okay, you know what, that guy was kind of an asshole. Let's work together. Uh That's a great plan as opposed to Me Joe Biden put twenty five big stack uh stacks on on him. You know, in January before he left the office he put a twenty five million dollar you know, bounty on really? Yes. You can you can verify that. And it's like essentially that's like, you know, some hitman, there's twenty five million for you. Yeah. You know. So we did it in a way and now they you know, we have him, he's gonna be on trial put for in public, held accountable for the atrocities that he committed against his nation. Right and that's why I said, why is that a bad thing? It's not a bad thing. And and the and the uh bank shot off of Venezuela was Cuba. Yeah because Cuba is propped up a lot by Venezuela. They're very close. In fact, all of uh all of Madero's security guard. Obviously they didn't do so good. Um but Cuba needs the Venezuelan oil. So yes, uh Cuba is starving now for oil. And we're doing that to them, but we're doing it because we want to have a regime change there. And so Code Pink and Jeremy Corbyn the usual suspects. Uh I think little Greta was on that trip, or if she wasn't, she s she' certainly most supportive of it. Uh she was probably involved with some other uh cause du jour, but uh they went to Cuba in support of the regime. This is what is just so insane about the far left and why Why why are we so stupid, John, that we are criticized. That's is why. Because they're stupid. Because they go to Cuba. I've no people who've been to Cuba. If you think you know poverty in America, you have no idea what poverty is. And that's been going on for sixty seven years. It didn't just start when we took away their oil. Uh exactly. Those people that visit there. Do they know that they're useful idiots? You know, or they are that clueless that they're they're absolutely you are backing a regime that's that's trapped this entire nation in extreme poverty and misery. And we are there like they're so great down here. Because Cuba could again be another like Gaza. It could be instead of Gaza could be Dubai and Cuba could be Saint Bart's. It's or anything. It's anything. It's Cuba. It's in the Caribbean. And it's just been this this nightmare. For the better part of a century now. And yeah, we're trying to do something about that. And Uh Here's the best the kicker of this story. They're in Cuba, uh like you say, these these assholes in their thirteen hundred dollar designer glasses going down to support the people. Uh they're staying like in the one hotel. That's a luxury hotel that uh while the people have no electricity, everything they're doing is air conditioned, the bus. Uh they cosplay sort of going into a field with the farmers, I think, for a minute. And You know what they visited while they're in Cuba, like sightseeing on the World Wind Tour? They went to the North Korean embassy, and one of them tweeted out our solidarity with North Korea. For being two regimes that are against US violence. The level of stupidity of these kids that they know one thing. This country, America, is the worst one that's ever been. We have done nothing but evil. That's really how they've been indoctrinated. It's Aside the fact that it's terrible. for our our national security, it's just wrong. It's just stupid. You're stupid. You're factually wrong. This country has done bad things like every country has. On a relative scale, we've actually been way better. Instead of staying at a at at a luxury hotel. live with a real family that lives under this terrible regime for a month. And and you still will you still defend this regime if you spent a month living in extreme kind of deprivation like that? Right. Of course of course not. You know, you you get choppered in, stay at at a luxury hotel, you know, like this is great, and then we're out. I mean it's it's just I and and and that's that's the first that's the frustration. These are part they are the people that the emerging You know, that's that's our new class of mascots for our party. And and now many of the people that are running for the Senate are campaigning with these kinds of people. I mean just the word communism. Being called a communist. W not that long ago was a dirty word. As it should be. Uh we did try it. Communism all over the world. It's it's a nightmare. But it's not a dirty word anymore, on the left. Plattiner in Maine absolutely identified himself as a communist. Right. Main Um Lieutenant that see a weaver in New York, head of the movement to get the rents fixated or whatever. W you know uh home ownership is racist white supremacy out elect more communists. We want to impoverish the you know white middle middle uh middle income uh families. It's just part of as part of the extreme. And and that's what I'm saying. Like it's ironic in my cycle that the Republicans try to spend tens of millions of dollars to convince people that I was a socialist. You know? And and now I'm accused of be gone MAGA after voting ninety three percent Democrat. No, it's but Communism now, that's not disqualifying. It's not that anybody's gone MAGA. It's that you're gone gaga. You're fucking nuts. <unk> Crazy, you'd say crazy shit. Like I mean that w the woman we're talking about. Ом онршіп і рацист. country where twenty million black people own homes. You know, uh Or when you or when your mother's self contradictory. Yeah, their mother has a two million dollar home in like Tennessee or whatever. What Kamala Harris? No, I'm referencing that like Mandami's house isn't it. Yeah. But I I did read that she purchased yeah in uh a nine million dollar home in Malibu. And she should. That's fine. This is America. Yeah, I agree. No judgment. Yeah, she's got a big baller house in Malibu. А мітке лес. Sort of you. Real person kind of. I mean somehow you're the suspect Democrat, the guy in the sweatshirt and the hoodie, who lives like he always did, you know, regular guy, Pittsburgh Steeler fan, da da da da da. I could go on. But she's the one who more represent Well if you think that more represents and again, she uh good good for you to have a nine million dollar house, but to think that that represents that working class that the Democratic Party is trying to win back. I mean No, no. It just it doesn't look talk to any traditional uh union traditional guys. They're all all all gone from the Democratic Party. Really? That's yo, that started ten years ago during the Trump First first race and Uh a hundred percent. Oh's traditional You know, like the the regular, regular dudes and those kind of people, you know, they're they're they're not they're not coming back. And and that's that in part why, you know, we uh have a second term of Trump. I think I think the and and I I would say the first term is because Around then, I think there was a lot of talk about how, well, you know, the Republican Party, they they seemed to do well in these races, and we had Bush and blah blah blah, and they Mitch McConnell, look what he did. He fucked up the Supreme Court thing, yes he did. But you know what? Their days are numbered because this is a uh a country that is getting more and more diverse, which is a great thing, uh, all the time. And Trump looked around and went Yeah, I still see a lot of white people. You know what? That is true, but I st I see I see white people. He was like the kid in the sixth sense, except not dead, white. I see white people. And he did, and they still exist. And uh and they're mostly not racist, but they do have their own concerns. And uh there's a big difference between being not racist and uh willing to turn your life over to the cause of anti-racism, which is what the far left wants. Um I think the best way to be an anti race is to be a decent human being to all people. But that's very passate. That's that's Democrat classic, John. Yeah. Yeah. Well that's what we are. We're classic. You know, I I've I've uh I've followed you for you know we watch for for a your values haven't changed. You know, your views haven't you? And my is I say this I'm the same thing where it's like no I ha I haven't, you know, like I I mean and and that's what's so exasperating where I'm like No, we're we're fine. We're it's so much better to be sane no matter how much A certain faction hate you for it. Lots of other people love us for it. So this it's not like we're getting not getting a good trade off. But also it's just You just sleep better at night, knowing no. I'm not one of these sheep. who won't say the emperor has no clothes. It's a real emperor has no clothes thing. You know, when it's when you see somebody with Queers for Palestine shirt and you and you just pretend that that's not a thing. That that's not So stupid. Okay, you can do that. You are an emperor no clothes person there. You are saying the emperor has no clothes. And I mean I mean I am. I mean you're you're saying the Emperor does have clothes, right? I'm the kid who says the Emperor has no clothes. Because the Emperor doesn't have any clothes in that scenario, and many others. I mean, I could list Where The the left finds a way to work their way back to what they're trying to stop, you know, like defunding the police. Yeah, well we're right we're right back there. You know, we're we're like you know, fuck ice, abolish ice. We are back. We can't resist the our worst impulses that brought that summoned that summoned a a second term with Trump. Yeah, uh and now we are back there. And backlash like ice. Yeah, exactly. We are living in the backlash of of Yes. And we are what fifteen months into his term? That's four years. Can you imagine what's gonna happen? in the next two months, six months, you know, or a year from now, I mean, do you think it's gonna get going in one direction more extreme? And there are you know, there are no experts at this point 'cause we are in unprecedented kinds of times. I've had the vote against my caucus. Alone. Two two government shutdowns. You know, historic Long. Record breaking. You know, we used to be we used to be the party that would refuse to shut down our government. You know, you know, we used to last year we used to scold T uh Touberville in Alabama for jamming up Promotions. And now we've shut the whole The whole government that we've shut the whole thing down. And Over healthcare? So you're a guy who's known to have friends on the other side of the aisle, which I think is so important that we don't do that much anymore. It's it's like I don't sit with those kids in the lunchroom. Um but like somebody like you mentioned him, Tommy Taberville. He was a football coach. Yeah. I mean he he did that stand about uh I think it was like abortion in parts of the military for some weird thing. And it jammed up, you know, promotions and and it it was punishing innocent people. And we shut the entire government down. For forty four days. And plunged people into chaos. Snap? Forty two million Americans depend on SNAP. All of that stuff influx. You know, we well, we're doing this for health care. There was no health care. There was no the we've all moved on. We're not talking about that anymore. And then the second shutdown was about we have to punish ice. But we all knew that because of the big beautiful bill that I did not vote for had unlimited money, and yet we still we have to shut it down because the base demands that, and I was the only Democrat. I'm not going to shut down our DHS. Punish ice because And that what's happened? Zero, zero reforms on ice that I wanted to see as well too. Zero reforms. Nothing. We walked away empty pockets just like in the first one because they were both driven by the outrage of the base. And that's another reason why um at odds with part of the party. And I don't know. Th these were our values. We must never shut our government down, but now we're doing the same things. Well you ask. What we're gonna be doing in two, six, eight months. I have no idea that I know the the political landscape will change a lot. What doesn't seem to change Is My life. Trump makes anything possible. Uh on our side, too. You know, the extremism has mutated. You know, the genome here of like who knows what's possible, how it's gonna continue to mutate. And the extreme things now. Um You know, our par I'm I'm the party that calls calls them as as Nazis. You know, but except for the guy that has an actual Nazi tattoo, he won't call him a Nazi. You know I don't know that against it. That to me is the kind of gotcha thing that people play games with, and they get to red herring. Uh, if anything, he's way too far left. I don't think he's a Nazi. I think he got a tattoo when he was teenager or something. He says he doesn't know what it was. Even if he didn't. You know what? It it it's like You can't hold people responsible for what they did as a teenager. I think he was a teenager. I dig it. You know? I mean he he I think he he f he absolutely Absolutely praise Tommas what they've done in that. So I see that as a leftist thing. Yeah, well but well my point my point though, and uh that doesn't it it this is this is this idea though. You know? All cops are bastards. You know, he's claimed that. Okay, that see, I'm still getting educated on him. I know that. He said all cops that right away. And and all rural people are racist and stupid. These are I these I I'm not insulting him. I'm just reflecting The things that he has proudly said online and it's not a gotcha thing. It's just what's that's who he is. And he's the guy that ran away from the primary. And he's gonna be the senator in Maine. Because because the only person he was running against on the Democratic side dropped. Correct, correct, yeah. And and there will be unlimited money there. And And that's made Possible. Because You know, I don't think that's authentic. I think that's just someone that has extreme views and That's just how is that qualifying of of being part of this Well I would say that the two wings of the party that we keep talking about. There's talk to Trump. Fuck Trump. Those are the two wings. Well no, to be clear, right? I mean it it's like here we are now. It's like I don't care if you build a ballroom. That's bad. That's bad punishing. You know, you've said I'm a communist or all cops are bastards, abolish ice and all that other stuff. We're okay with that kind of thing. Agreeing, like I don't care, build build a ballroom that we do need that that's that's damaging. But all these other extreme things seems seems pretty good to me. Yeah, you know, you seem like you're upbeat. I mean, you look good. You look healthy. Oh I I I I have your husband I felt so good just be I'm gonna just agree. Or vote for things that I think happen to be true. And it it just I sleep better. I feel better. I don't carry this Yeah. You know, a career isn't worth anything if I had spent that lying. I know what pays the bills as a Democrat right now. Fuck Trump. Literally. And just agreeing to do things that we would never do those kind of things. And I've always refused to turn my back on the Jewish community and Israel because that's what history demonstrates that's consistently gonna happen. Best thing. about being honest is that you don't have to keep your lies in order. Do you know? You know, to remember you don't have to remember lies. You know? And that's uh whether that's priceless. Well maybe that's a version of bull worth or whatever, but I'm just that's what I've decided to do. Your health is good because obviously you got never never better. Never better. In every way. Physically, mentally, everything. What? Physically, mentally, everything. Yeah, yeah. You think all of that is behind you. Yeah, I I just I just had uh the check the check out actually before I came out uh to the West Coast, yeah, and you know, check checked out. Yeah, absolutely. And I I I'm a I'm I'm the luckiest guy alive. I mean I'm coming up on you know when this when this drops That would be essentially the fourth anniversary of when I died from that stroke. Right. And that was touch and go at that time. And I never thought I four years later I'd be sitting in a chair talking to a guy that I always Uh I and and I could have been Uh, dead. Or I could have been Uh so w when you have a stroke, are you supposed to take aspirin? I'm asking for a friend. No, well I take I take a medical version of it. But it's it's it's it's c yeah, it's called eloquist and that's a blood thinner to make sure that doesn't happen. Yeah, and then also what really brought to that was I suffer from A fib. And that's kinda like a silent thing. Right. And that that that damage the heart in in a way. And and that uh and the stress and and of everything about that campaign, it all just, you know, converged and and that's when I was I knew I felt terrible at that point. And I was gonna just finish out the primary. And then I was gonna immediately get get checked out. Because uh and and the mistake was um three days before the election, that's when the stroke hit. Do you have anxiety about anymore. No about it about the about whatever upcoming election. The kind of because once you go into an election season. Whoever your opponent is, even the people on your own team in a primary, but then certainly the Republican are going to say the worst sort of things about you. I mean I I've l I've lived through that. I I've already been dead once, you know, like there's nothing like it's it's So you don't care what they say about you. It's very it's very liberating in in in that in that way. And and what I'm saying, like Uh there's there's no real stress compared to Whether if you're a s soldier in IDF or you know in our military, or you have families, you know, with a lot of these uh ability to feed themselves and all that thing compared to where I'm at. Yeah, there's you know, just Freeing to just