What's up, everybody. Welcome to the latest edition of The Steph Nate Smith Show, coming at you over the digital airways of YouTube and of course iHeartRadio. As always, wanted to take a moment to thank my subscribers and followers that continue to grow and grow by the day. Seven hundred and twenty seven thousand followers we have eclipsed obviously over the YouTube digital airwaves, and of course on iHeartRadio, we've exceeded more than one zero point twenty five million downloads over the last three months or so. So can't thank y'all for the support and love enough. Keep it coming, and I'm gonna keep on coming. Obviously, this is a this is a different kind of show today because we all know what the biggest story in the world in all likelihood is taking place right now. We all know what happened this past Saturday. That's where we're gonna start, the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. It was an historic moment, without question, that sent shockwaves throughout the world. As Trump was rushed off the stage, his face bloodied from a bullet, he says, pierced his ear. The shooter, who the FBI identified as twenty year old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Pennsylvania, killed one person and wounded to others before he was taken out by Secret Service snipers. Former President Trump went to social media and called for national unity in a post Sunday morning, saying, quote, in this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united and show our true characters as Americans, remaining strong and determined and not allowing evil to win. Needless to say, we heard from President Biden as well, who echoed the sentiment of unity in an address to the nation last night from the Oval Office. Take a look.

What's up, everybody. Welcome to the latest edition of The Steph Nate Smith Show, coming at you over the digital airways of YouTube and of course iHeartRadio. As always, wanted to take a moment to thank my subscribers and followers that continue to grow and grow by the day. Seven hundred and twenty seven thousand followers we have eclipsed obviously over the YouTube digital airwaves, and of course on iHeartRadio, we've exceeded more than one zero point twenty five million downloads over the last three months or so. So can't thank y'all for the support and love enough. Keep it coming, and I'm gonna keep on coming. Obviously, this is a this is a different kind of show today because we all know what the biggest story in the world in all likelihood is taking place right now. We all know what happened this past Saturday. That's where we're gonna start, the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. It was an historic moment, without question, that sent shockwaves throughout the world. As Trump was rushed off the stage, his face bloodied from a bullet, he says, pierced his ear. The shooter, who the FBI identified as twenty year old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Pennsylvania, killed one person and wounded to others before he was taken out by Secret Service snipers. Former President Trump went to social media and called for national unity in a post Sunday morning, saying, quote, in this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united and show our true characters as Americans, remaining strong and determined and not allowing evil to win. Needless to say, we heard from President Biden as well, who echoed the sentiment of unity in an address to the nation last night from the Oval Office. Take a look.

We can't allow this violence to be normalized. You know, the political record in this country has gotten very heated. It's time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do that. Yes, we have deeply felt strong disagreements. The stakes in the selection are enormously high. I've said it many times that the choice in the selection we make in this selection is going to shape the future of America and the world for decades to come. I believe that with all my soul. I know that millions of my fellow Americans believe it as well, and some have a different view as the direction our countries should take. Disagreement is inevitable in the American democracy. It's part of human nature. But politics must never be a literal battlefield in God from bid a killing field.

We can't allow this violence to be normalized. You know, the political record in this country has gotten very heated. It's time to cool it down. We all have a responsibility to do that. Yes, we have deeply felt strong disagreements. The stakes in the selection are enormously high. I've said it many times that the choice in the selection we make in this selection is going to shape the future of America and the world for decades to come. I believe that with all my soul. I know that millions of my fellow Americans believe it as well, and some have a different view as the direction our countries should take. Disagreement is inevitable in the American democracy. It's part of human nature. But politics must never be a literal battlefield in God from bid a killing field.

You know, I've had a lot of thoughts obviously since the attempt at assassination took place this week, And thank god Donald Trump was not killed. First of all, we don't wish that on anybody. As human beings. I don't give a damn what your political ideology is, where you stand, whatever the case may be, you don't wish that on anybody. And so thank God that Donald Trump was not killed. He's fortunate in that regard. And to be quite honest with you, as a nation, we're very, very fortunate because when you talk about chaos and mayhem and Lord knows what other other words that you can associate with such a thing. If that man, if mister Crooks who is now deceased, had succeeded in taking out the presumptive GOP nominee for the presidency of the United States of America, if he had pulled that off, who knows what state of affairs would exist in this country today. Who knows what kind of chaos would have reigned because of it? Who knows? So thank the Good Lord that Donald Trump was not killed and that he is alive and still free to pursue the presidency or return to the presidency of the United States of America. We'll get that out of the way first. Secondly, talking about this kid right here, twenty years old, I'm just looking at some of the notes that I researched. Twenty years old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, mid sized town of roughly thirty three thousand residents, about forty five miles south of the Butler Farm showgrounds where the shooting took place. He worked. Mister Crooks worked as a dietary aid at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, not far from his home. He graduated from Bethel Park High School in twenty twenty two. Former classmates described him as a quote relentlessly bullied loaner who loved playing video games and hunting. So we've had many, many conversations about the detrimental effects of bullying and the kind of terror it has the potential to breed. Because one day, when somebody's bullied and bullied and bullied. You just never know what they'll turn into and what they will do. And this is the latest example of that, all right, interestingly enough in some people's eyes anyway. According to state voting records, Crooks was a registered Republican, though given his age, he would have been too young to cast a ballot in twenty twenty. However, he did make a fifteen dollar donation to the Liberal Act Blue Political Action Committee on January twentieth, twenty twenty one, the day of President Biden's inauguration day, when he was just seventeen years of age. They said that just hours before taking aim at the former president Donald Trump, Crooks bought fifty rounds of AMMO, and when his body was found on the roof of a manufacturing plant over one hundred and thirty yards away from Trump's rally stage, he was found with an AAR style semi order rifle that belonged to his father. Crooks was wearing a shirt for a popular gun focused YouTube channel called Demolition Ranch, which has over eleven million subscribers, that notes about him, and that's where we go from there. I wanted to say this, and I understand that it's not going to be popular, and I'm certainly not pointing the finger at any individual or any party when it comes to such a thing. Again, thank god Donald Trump survived. We certainly don't need an assassination. This country doesn't need to deal with that. It almost happened with Ronald Reagan in the eighties. It almost happened out of the country with George W. Bush when somebody threw a grenade in his direction when he was in the presidency. We know what happened to John F. Kennedy nineteen sixty three. We know what happened to Robinton Kennedy in sixty eight when he was ultimately going to be running for president for the presidency. So this is not the first time in history that we've seen something or heard of something like this, but the times that we're living in right now. If you think about the history of presidential assassination attempts in the United States, right there in front of you, Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, President elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, two men breaking in the home of Harry Truman, and an assassination attempt in nineteen fifty. It's been going on for a long period of time. John F. Kennedy, like I told you, assassination attempts on Gerald Ford. Ronald Reagan shot and wounded by John Hickley Junior in eighty one, and of course I brought up Bush in two thousand and five. You know, somebody got to say it, So I'm gonna say it. You know, when we're looking at situations like this, first thing I want to get out the way is this this shoot it. This is my opinion. It's not the opinion of anybody I work with, anybody that knows me, or anything like that. In my opinion, the shooter he just handed Donald Trump the election. That is what I believe. Of course I don't know that as fact. Of course things could change. But in my opinion, he just handed Donald Trump the election. Ladies and gentlemen, you can't buy I've been in media for thirty years. You can't buy a better photo than what Donald Trump has at his disposal. As we speak, he goes to the ground. He's got blood on his right ear, looked like it got nicked, which is what he said, had pierced his ear. He gets up, he looks disheveled, all right, clearly taken aback by what happened, and rightfully so. Blood trickling down his ears and a sigh on the right side of his face, surrounded by Secret Service agents, raises his fist, is shriveling, you know, cringing his face up. Fight, fight, Fight, He says it three times, and while raising his fist surrounded by Secret Service agents, the American flag is behind them. Ladies and gentlemen, you can't buy that. You can't buy a better photo than net. If you're a politician, you can't buy a better photo than the net. Look at the video of him raising his fist. Look at the crowd going crazy behind him, look at them saying yeah, yeah, yeah, you know. And then listen to the pundits on TV talking about how strong, how vibrant, how courageous, and they were using these words, and not coincidentally, it was the antithesis of what they've been saying about President Biden. Now you see right there what Donald Trump's statement was on his truth social media page, and he after Mattham, what transport. I wanted to thank the United States Secret Service and all of law enforcement official for their rapid response and the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong and that I heard a whizzing sound shots and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. God bless America. This is what he's doing. There's not a word in there that he said that we can refute. And he brought up somebody that was injured. This individual was killed. Shots rang out and he literally jumped to save his wife, to cover his wife and his two children, and he got hit in the head and he was killed. My condolences to his family and to him, of course, and to those who were injured at the rally as well. But make no mistake about it, Donald Trump, in my opinion, secured the presidency with this. A Donald Trump that was impeached twice, a Donald Trump that had a four hundred and fifty four million dollar settlement levied against them. A Donald Trump that was convicted on thirty four felony accounts, yet was still the presumptive GOP nominee. That Donald Trump is now a martyr excicly anyway you want to. If you're talking about America and it kind of impact visuals have on our society, good or bad. As a politician, it don't get any better than the picture by the Associated Press, by the way, that you see of Donald Trump surrounded by Secret Service agents raising his fist telling imploring folks to continue to fight, with the American flag behind him. It doesn't get any better than that, ladies and gentlemen. And I'm not using words like better and stuff like that inappropriately, because obviously I'm not talking about his shooting that in and of itself is egregious and awful and heinous. I'm talking about the photo thereafter. As a politician, it doesn't get it. You can't find a better photo than that. You just can't. And so this is where we are. And if you are President Biden Boydy, you've got your work cut out for you now, because the courts and Florida are just ruled that Donald Trump can't be prosecuted for taking the files out of the White House to his to his mar Ao Lago estate. So you can't go after him for that any longer. Okay, that's no longer an issue. That's no longer something you can get to him about. We already know he lost the New York City hushed money trial for force to find business records. Those were the thirty four felloing accounts that I told you about. He still has the capital ride in the twenty twenty election case. What you think that's gonna be?

You know, I've had a lot of thoughts obviously since the attempt at assassination took place this week, And thank god Donald Trump was not killed. First of all, we don't wish that on anybody. As human beings. I don't give a damn what your political ideology is, where you stand, whatever the case may be, you don't wish that on anybody. And so thank God that Donald Trump was not killed. He's fortunate in that regard. And to be quite honest with you, as a nation, we're very, very fortunate because when you talk about chaos and mayhem and Lord knows what other other words that you can associate with such a thing. If that man, if mister Crooks who is now deceased, had succeeded in taking out the presumptive GOP nominee for the presidency of the United States of America, if he had pulled that off, who knows what state of affairs would exist in this country today. Who knows what kind of chaos would have reigned because of it? Who knows? So thank the Good Lord that Donald Trump was not killed and that he is alive and still free to pursue the presidency or return to the presidency of the United States of America. We'll get that out of the way first. Secondly, talking about this kid right here, twenty years old, I'm just looking at some of the notes that I researched. Twenty years old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, mid sized town of roughly thirty three thousand residents, about forty five miles south of the Butler Farm showgrounds where the shooting took place. He worked. Mister Crooks worked as a dietary aid at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, not far from his home. He graduated from Bethel Park High School in twenty twenty two. Former classmates described him as a quote relentlessly bullied loaner who loved playing video games and hunting. So we've had many, many conversations about the detrimental effects of bullying and the kind of terror it has the potential to breed. Because one day, when somebody's bullied and bullied and bullied. You just never know what they'll turn into and what they will do. And this is the latest example of that, all right, interestingly enough in some people's eyes anyway. According to state voting records, Crooks was a registered Republican, though given his age, he would have been too young to cast a ballot in twenty twenty. However, he did make a fifteen dollar donation to the Liberal Act Blue Political Action Committee on January twentieth, twenty twenty one, the day of President Biden's inauguration day, when he was just seventeen years of age. They said that just hours before taking aim at the former president Donald Trump, Crooks bought fifty rounds of AMMO, and when his body was found on the roof of a manufacturing plant over one hundred and thirty yards away from Trump's rally stage, he was found with an AAR style semi order rifle that belonged to his father. Crooks was wearing a shirt for a popular gun focused YouTube channel called Demolition Ranch, which has over eleven million subscribers, that notes about him, and that's where we go from there. I wanted to say this, and I understand that it's not going to be popular, and I'm certainly not pointing the finger at any individual or any party when it comes to such a thing. Again, thank god Donald Trump survived. We certainly don't need an assassination. This country doesn't need to deal with that. It almost happened with Ronald Reagan in the eighties. It almost happened out of the country with George W. Bush when somebody threw a grenade in his direction when he was in the presidency. We know what happened to John F. Kennedy nineteen sixty three. We know what happened to Robinton Kennedy in sixty eight when he was ultimately going to be running for president for the presidency. So this is not the first time in history that we've seen something or heard of something like this, but the times that we're living in right now. If you think about the history of presidential assassination attempts in the United States, right there in front of you, Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, President elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, two men breaking in the home of Harry Truman, and an assassination attempt in nineteen fifty. It's been going on for a long period of time. John F. Kennedy, like I told you, assassination attempts on Gerald Ford. Ronald Reagan shot and wounded by John Hickley Junior in eighty one, and of course I brought up Bush in two thousand and five. You know, somebody got to say it, So I'm gonna say it. You know, when we're looking at situations like this, first thing I want to get out the way is this this shoot it. This is my opinion. It's not the opinion of anybody I work with, anybody that knows me, or anything like that. In my opinion, the shooter he just handed Donald Trump the election. That is what I believe. Of course I don't know that as fact. Of course things could change. But in my opinion, he just handed Donald Trump the election. Ladies and gentlemen, you can't buy I've been in media for thirty years. You can't buy a better photo than what Donald Trump has at his disposal. As we speak, he goes to the ground. He's got blood on his right ear, looked like it got nicked, which is what he said, had pierced his ear. He gets up, he looks disheveled, all right, clearly taken aback by what happened, and rightfully so. Blood trickling down his ears and a sigh on the right side of his face, surrounded by Secret Service agents, raises his fist, is shriveling, you know, cringing his face up. Fight, fight, Fight, He says it three times, and while raising his fist surrounded by Secret Service agents, the American flag is behind them. Ladies and gentlemen, you can't buy that. You can't buy a better photo than net. If you're a politician, you can't buy a better photo than the net. Look at the video of him raising his fist. Look at the crowd going crazy behind him, look at them saying yeah, yeah, yeah, you know. And then listen to the pundits on TV talking about how strong, how vibrant, how courageous, and they were using these words, and not coincidentally, it was the antithesis of what they've been saying about President Biden. Now you see right there what Donald Trump's statement was on his truth social media page, and he after Mattham, what transport. I wanted to thank the United States Secret Service and all of law enforcement official for their rapid response and the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong and that I heard a whizzing sound shots and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. God bless America. This is what he's doing. There's not a word in there that he said that we can refute. And he brought up somebody that was injured. This individual was killed. Shots rang out and he literally jumped to save his wife, to cover his wife and his two children, and he got hit in the head and he was killed. My condolences to his family and to him, of course, and to those who were injured at the rally as well. But make no mistake about it, Donald Trump, in my opinion, secured the presidency with this. A Donald Trump that was impeached twice, a Donald Trump that had a four hundred and fifty four million dollar settlement levied against them. A Donald Trump that was convicted on thirty four felony accounts, yet was still the presumptive GOP nominee. That Donald Trump is now a martyr excicly anyway you want to. If you're talking about America and it kind of impact visuals have on our society, good or bad. As a politician, it don't get any better than the picture by the Associated Press, by the way, that you see of Donald Trump surrounded by Secret Service agents raising his fist telling imploring folks to continue to fight, with the American flag behind him. It doesn't get any better than that, ladies and gentlemen. And I'm not using words like better and stuff like that inappropriately, because obviously I'm not talking about his shooting that in and of itself is egregious and awful and heinous. I'm talking about the photo thereafter. As a politician, it doesn't get it. You can't find a better photo than that. You just can't. And so this is where we are. And if you are President Biden Boydy, you've got your work cut out for you now, because the courts and Florida are just ruled that Donald Trump can't be prosecuted for taking the files out of the White House to his to his mar Ao Lago estate. So you can't go after him for that any longer. Okay, that's no longer an issue. That's no longer something you can get to him about. We already know he lost the New York City hushed money trial for force to find business records. Those were the thirty four felloing accounts that I told you about. He still has the capital ride in the twenty twenty election case. What you think that's gonna be?

Like?

Like?

What da is gonna be able to bring Donald Trump into court at this moment? Think about that? Think about that. The GOP, the Republican National Convention, starts tonight in Milwaukee. He's gonna name his VP running mate. He's gonna give a speech Thursday, and it will no longer be presumptive. He will be officially the GOP nominee. How you are you gonna rush him in the court for the twenty twenty election case. Now, he still has a Georgia twenty twenty election interference case. How are you gonna run that against him?

What da is gonna be able to bring Donald Trump into court at this moment? Think about that? Think about that. The GOP, the Republican National Convention, starts tonight in Milwaukee. He's gonna name his VP running mate. He's gonna give a speech Thursday, and it will no longer be presumptive. He will be officially the GOP nominee. How you are you gonna rush him in the court for the twenty twenty election case. Now, he still has a Georgia twenty twenty election interference case. How are you gonna run that against him?

Now?

Now?

Tell me what prosecutor is going to be able to justify to the American public taking a presidential candidate and the GOP nominee into court days or weeks after he survived as an assassination attempt. You can't do it. So stuff all the legal maneuverings that have been taking place. It's all over, ladies and gentlemen. Donald Trump's not going to jail, not gonna be prosecuted. You can book it. You can book it. It's not gonna happen again. It's just my opinion. It's not gonna happen. You can't justify doing it now. How are you gonna pull that off? I can't see it. Here's the last point that I wanted to make before we have our next guest on because it's something that's very, very important. You know, I watched a lot of news over the last forty eight hours, and we've seen a lot of political pundits and politicians over the airways waxing poetically about we need to tone down the rhetoric. I just played you the sound from the President of the United States saying you gotta tone down the rhetoric, and blah blah blah, and you know, the American public is getting lectured on what we need to do to dial back the rhetoric. I don't disagree with that sentiment. I don't disagree with that sentiment at all. But I'll be damned if I don't disagree or I don't at least have a problem rather with the politicians and the pundits who have the audacity to unmitigate a gall to stick their big faces in front of a camera and think they get to lecture us when they're the ones who instigate all of this. It's them. It's them, all of this rhetoric we're talking about. And I don't mean in any way to imply that that's responsible for crooks trying to assassinate the president. No, that's on him. Clearly something was wrong with him. Clearly the bullying got to him and he wanted to sit up there and be a martyr or hero or whatever the hell he thought of himself. I'm certainly not gonna blame politicians or political pundits for that, but I don't want to be lectured about how we need to dive down a rhetoric when you're the one that's fomentting it. You're the one instigating it. You're the one starting it. All of yours, Republicans and Democrats, politicians and pundits, all of yours. You did that, not us, Not the American people, Black, white, Latino, Asian, American, Jews, Catholics, Christians. It don't matter, y'all did that. That wasn't us. I got quotes here President Joe Biden months ago. Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation. He's a threat to our freedom, He's a threat to our democracy. He's literally a threat to everything American stands for. We talking about both sides here. We pledged to you that we will root out the communist Marxist fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country. Nobody has ever seen anything like we witness it right now. It's poisoning in the blood of our country. That's Donald Trump. Representative Rick Scott, Florida. This isn't some unfortunate incident. This was an assassination, the tempt by a madman inspired by the rhetoric of the radical left. That's what a a senator said. You can't say stuff like that, but look at Representative Vizente Gozalees months ago. The rhetoric you hear from the Republican Party a shameful and disgraceful for Latinos. And you know, when you see Latinos for Trump, to me, it's like seeing Jews for Hitler almost. You know what what what you're looking at us for? I'm looking at Donna Brazil the other day, who I love, by the way, and I've long admired as a political pundit usually on ABC. Went over the Fox News for a little while, came back to ABC. Good to see her on this week. But she did the other day talking Hey, Rents, was it RN's previous for the R and c Oh. We're brothers. We're all brothers. We different, we differ politically, but we get along. We have we share drinks together, we have lunch together. There's plenty of my Republican colleagues across the aisle that we have dinner together. We talk with one another, we exchange ideas, we get along. Well, that ain't what you've been telling us, y'all. Haven't been telling us that we've heard threat to democracy. We've heard on both sides, we gonna lose the country. We forget that we're a democracy, and guess what if you don't like something for you two years, you get to change the representatives. Four years, you get to change the White House. Six years you get to change the Senate seats. And we forget all of that. We've spent years listening to these politicians tell us, Hey, if you don't vote this way, the world is gonna end. And you're telling us to come down. You're telling us the dollar.

Tell me what prosecutor is going to be able to justify to the American public taking a presidential candidate and the GOP nominee into court days or weeks after he survived as an assassination attempt. You can't do it. So stuff all the legal maneuverings that have been taking place. It's all over, ladies and gentlemen. Donald Trump's not going to jail, not gonna be prosecuted. You can book it. You can book it. It's not gonna happen again. It's just my opinion. It's not gonna happen. You can't justify doing it now. How are you gonna pull that off? I can't see it. Here's the last point that I wanted to make before we have our next guest on because it's something that's very, very important. You know, I watched a lot of news over the last forty eight hours, and we've seen a lot of political pundits and politicians over the airways waxing poetically about we need to tone down the rhetoric. I just played you the sound from the President of the United States saying you gotta tone down the rhetoric, and blah blah blah, and you know, the American public is getting lectured on what we need to do to dial back the rhetoric. I don't disagree with that sentiment. I don't disagree with that sentiment at all. But I'll be damned if I don't disagree or I don't at least have a problem rather with the politicians and the pundits who have the audacity to unmitigate a gall to stick their big faces in front of a camera and think they get to lecture us when they're the ones who instigate all of this. It's them. It's them, all of this rhetoric we're talking about. And I don't mean in any way to imply that that's responsible for crooks trying to assassinate the president. No, that's on him. Clearly something was wrong with him. Clearly the bullying got to him and he wanted to sit up there and be a martyr or hero or whatever the hell he thought of himself. I'm certainly not gonna blame politicians or political pundits for that, but I don't want to be lectured about how we need to dive down a rhetoric when you're the one that's fomentting it. You're the one instigating it. You're the one starting it. All of yours, Republicans and Democrats, politicians and pundits, all of yours. You did that, not us, Not the American people, Black, white, Latino, Asian, American, Jews, Catholics, Christians. It don't matter, y'all did that. That wasn't us. I got quotes here President Joe Biden months ago. Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation. He's a threat to our freedom, He's a threat to our democracy. He's literally a threat to everything American stands for. We talking about both sides here. We pledged to you that we will root out the communist Marxist fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country. Nobody has ever seen anything like we witness it right now. It's poisoning in the blood of our country. That's Donald Trump. Representative Rick Scott, Florida. This isn't some unfortunate incident. This was an assassination, the tempt by a madman inspired by the rhetoric of the radical left. That's what a a senator said. You can't say stuff like that, but look at Representative Vizente Gozalees months ago. The rhetoric you hear from the Republican Party a shameful and disgraceful for Latinos. And you know, when you see Latinos for Trump, to me, it's like seeing Jews for Hitler almost. You know what what what you're looking at us for? I'm looking at Donna Brazil the other day, who I love, by the way, and I've long admired as a political pundit usually on ABC. Went over the Fox News for a little while, came back to ABC. Good to see her on this week. But she did the other day talking Hey, Rents, was it RN's previous for the R and c Oh. We're brothers. We're all brothers. We different, we differ politically, but we get along. We have we share drinks together, we have lunch together. There's plenty of my Republican colleagues across the aisle that we have dinner together. We talk with one another, we exchange ideas, we get along. Well, that ain't what you've been telling us, y'all. Haven't been telling us that we've heard threat to democracy. We've heard on both sides, we gonna lose the country. We forget that we're a democracy, and guess what if you don't like something for you two years, you get to change the representatives. Four years, you get to change the White House. Six years you get to change the Senate seats. And we forget all of that. We've spent years listening to these politicians tell us, Hey, if you don't vote this way, the world is gonna end. And you're telling us to come down. You're telling us the dollar.

Down the rhetoric that would be y'all. So all I ask, respectfully, is that people who live in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones.

Down the rhetoric that would be y'all. So all I ask, respectfully, is that people who live in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones.

Why don't y'all chill with the rhetoric. Don't just talk about it, be about it. Nobody's implying that you're responsible for what happened this weekend. Adults are adults, and that's on them. But if you're going to imply it by saying the rhetoric is too incendiary and it needs to be dialt back, what I'm saying of politicians and political pundits on both sides of the aisle is it starts with y'all. Let's discuss the facts, Let's discuss whose idea is better, and then move on. Pick a side, ladies, and gentlemen, and do it that way. Don't let your us for stuff y'all have been doing. That's all I ask. That's all I ask. Now, let me be clear, ain't no hypocrite sitting here. I have been on the record stating on many occasions I wasn't voting for Donald Trump because guess what, I think he would create civil war in this country, because I thought he was a divisive force. Okay, but that's me on the outside talking about what I'm seeing. If you're on the inside, you're a political pundit and you actually get along with people on the opposite sides of the aisle, but you go on camera and you pretend that you don't, and you're going at each other like crazy, acting like the world's gonna come to an end. If your way is it what's agreed upon by the voters and the constituent wh's out there, it's a problem. That's the difference between me and the pundits that I'm talking about. I'm not talking about all. I'm not talking about everybody, but those of you who have been divisive, you know who you are. All I'm saying is, if you got do that, don't turn around and lecture the American public like it's us that were doing it, we were following your lead. One could easily argue you on Capitol Hill you're a political pundit on the left or the right, literally a sign to go out there and disseminate messages to the masses on behalf of the party line, and you know that you've got good relationships and this peace amongst the people when you're going out to lunch and dinner together and you're getting along and all of this other stuff. But you just happen to disagree politically. But when you go on the air, you're acting like Ohmageddon's gonna take place if you side with this person instead of you, or vice versa. I'm sorry. It's a little bit different than me saying, hey, I think Trump being a divisive force that he is may be on a revenge tour and he's gonna be a divisive force in a White House. That's what I felt. That's what I feel. But the bottom line is, I'm not a political pundit working in Capitol Hill withinside knowledge of the relationships we have with one another on both sides of the aisle. You guys are, and if you know that the relationship is better, and you know that you might not necessarily believe the world's gonna come to an end if you and your side don't win an election. Why do you come across like it? Because it works and you didn't care. That's what I'm saying. Let's make sure I'm clear about that. All that being said, you want to sit up there and say, Yo, Stephen, are you in this to cool? No problem. I happen to believe when I go on political you know, on networks, talking politics or news or social issues, given social commentary, because that's really what I like to do. Sports is first social commentary. A second, let me be very clear, if you tell me anything that I'm doing is against the best interests of this nation, our safety, our ability to thrive, less division, et cetera. If you tell me anything that I could do to facilitate more unity, more togetherness, more productivity, I will do it. I will do it because I'm not rooting against us as a nation. I'm rooting for us. Whatever it takes for all of us to be better, I'm in it. I'm down for the cause. You're watching The Steven A. Smith Show over the digital airways or YouTube and listening to it with iHeartRadio and media. I always have go to people when I touch on subjects like this, and who better to go to than my man, the one and only Chris Cuomo for News Nation. That's what's coming up next. Republican National Convention begins tonight in Milwaukee. That's when Donald Trump says he'll announce his VP running mate. We'll talk about that and how the assassination attempt will impact the GOB convention. I already told you who is with. It's my man, who knows a hell of a lot more about this stuff than me. This is his lane, and I'm happy to defer to him. Chris Cuomo up next with yours, Trudy back in a minute. Everyone knows I'm a sports fanatic and I need to be in the middle of all the action. So how do I satisfy that need. I use Prize Picks, of course, the largest fantasy sports platform in all of the land, with over three million members. You may say, well, how do I do that, stephen A, It's simple. All you do is select two or more players from your favorite sport the WNBA, MLB, soccer, tennis, or even boxing, and just choose more or less on their projected in game stats. It's incredibly easy to play and takes just sixty seconds to make your picks. That's less time than it takes Carlos Alcoraz to set up to smash a game. When a match point served, and get this, Prospects will match your first depositive up to one hundred dollars. That's right. Go to prospects dot com and use code sas for a first depositive match of up to one hundred dollars. That's code SAS. When you go to prospects dot com, pick more, pickless. Guess what, it's that easy. Welcome back to Steven A. Smiths Show right here with the digital areas of YouTube and of course, Ourheartradio. The twenty twenty four Republican National Convention begins tonight in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where former President Donald Trump will accept the GOP presidential nomination. Trump arrived in Wisconsin Sunday night after you survived the assassination Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania. The Secrets Nervis said there are no operational changes for the R and C. According to the Associated Press, however, the Secret Service has implemented changes to Donald Trump's security detail since Saturday's assassination, attempt to quote ensure his continued protection for the convention and the remainder of the campaign end quote. Before I get into any of that, I couldn't wait to talk to this man right here because I wanted to know his thoughts immediately upon seeing what transpired this Saturday afternoon. He is the host of Cuomo on News Nation. My buddy, the one and only, Chris Cuomo is here with me right now. What's going on? Chris? How are you?

Why don't y'all chill with the rhetoric. Don't just talk about it, be about it. Nobody's implying that you're responsible for what happened this weekend. Adults are adults, and that's on them. But if you're going to imply it by saying the rhetoric is too incendiary and it needs to be dialt back, what I'm saying of politicians and political pundits on both sides of the aisle is it starts with y'all. Let's discuss the facts, Let's discuss whose idea is better, and then move on. Pick a side, ladies, and gentlemen, and do it that way. Don't let your us for stuff y'all have been doing. That's all I ask. That's all I ask. Now, let me be clear, ain't no hypocrite sitting here. I have been on the record stating on many occasions I wasn't voting for Donald Trump because guess what, I think he would create civil war in this country, because I thought he was a divisive force. Okay, but that's me on the outside talking about what I'm seeing. If you're on the inside, you're a political pundit and you actually get along with people on the opposite sides of the aisle, but you go on camera and you pretend that you don't, and you're going at each other like crazy, acting like the world's gonna come to an end. If your way is it what's agreed upon by the voters and the constituent wh's out there, it's a problem. That's the difference between me and the pundits that I'm talking about. I'm not talking about all. I'm not talking about everybody, but those of you who have been divisive, you know who you are. All I'm saying is, if you got do that, don't turn around and lecture the American public like it's us that were doing it, we were following your lead. One could easily argue you on Capitol Hill you're a political pundit on the left or the right, literally a sign to go out there and disseminate messages to the masses on behalf of the party line, and you know that you've got good relationships and this peace amongst the people when you're going out to lunch and dinner together and you're getting along and all of this other stuff. But you just happen to disagree politically. But when you go on the air, you're acting like Ohmageddon's gonna take place if you side with this person instead of you, or vice versa. I'm sorry. It's a little bit different than me saying, hey, I think Trump being a divisive force that he is may be on a revenge tour and he's gonna be a divisive force in a White House. That's what I felt. That's what I feel. But the bottom line is, I'm not a political pundit working in Capitol Hill withinside knowledge of the relationships we have with one another on both sides of the aisle. You guys are, and if you know that the relationship is better, and you know that you might not necessarily believe the world's gonna come to an end if you and your side don't win an election. Why do you come across like it? Because it works and you didn't care. That's what I'm saying. Let's make sure I'm clear about that. All that being said, you want to sit up there and say, Yo, Stephen, are you in this to cool? No problem. I happen to believe when I go on political you know, on networks, talking politics or news or social issues, given social commentary, because that's really what I like to do. Sports is first social commentary. A second, let me be very clear, if you tell me anything that I'm doing is against the best interests of this nation, our safety, our ability to thrive, less division, et cetera. If you tell me anything that I could do to facilitate more unity, more togetherness, more productivity, I will do it. I will do it because I'm not rooting against us as a nation. I'm rooting for us. Whatever it takes for all of us to be better, I'm in it. I'm down for the cause. You're watching The Steven A. Smith Show over the digital airways or YouTube and listening to it with iHeartRadio and media. I always have go to people when I touch on subjects like this, and who better to go to than my man, the one and only Chris Cuomo for News Nation. That's what's coming up next. Republican National Convention begins tonight in Milwaukee. That's when Donald Trump says he'll announce his VP running mate. We'll talk about that and how the assassination attempt will impact the GOB convention. I already told you who is with. It's my man, who knows a hell of a lot more about this stuff than me. This is his lane, and I'm happy to defer to him. Chris Cuomo up next with yours, Trudy back in a minute. Everyone knows I'm a sports fanatic and I need to be in the middle of all the action. So how do I satisfy that need. I use Prize Picks, of course, the largest fantasy sports platform in all of the land, with over three million members. You may say, well, how do I do that, stephen A, It's simple. All you do is select two or more players from your favorite sport the WNBA, MLB, soccer, tennis, or even boxing, and just choose more or less on their projected in game stats. It's incredibly easy to play and takes just sixty seconds to make your picks. That's less time than it takes Carlos Alcoraz to set up to smash a game. When a match point served, and get this, Prospects will match your first depositive up to one hundred dollars. That's right. Go to prospects dot com and use code sas for a first depositive match of up to one hundred dollars. That's code SAS. When you go to prospects dot com, pick more, pickless. Guess what, it's that easy. Welcome back to Steven A. Smiths Show right here with the digital areas of YouTube and of course, Ourheartradio. The twenty twenty four Republican National Convention begins tonight in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where former President Donald Trump will accept the GOP presidential nomination. Trump arrived in Wisconsin Sunday night after you survived the assassination Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania. The Secrets Nervis said there are no operational changes for the R and C. According to the Associated Press, however, the Secret Service has implemented changes to Donald Trump's security detail since Saturday's assassination, attempt to quote ensure his continued protection for the convention and the remainder of the campaign end quote. Before I get into any of that, I couldn't wait to talk to this man right here because I wanted to know his thoughts immediately upon seeing what transpired this Saturday afternoon. He is the host of Cuomo on News Nation. My buddy, the one and only, Chris Cuomo is here with me right now. What's going on? Chris? How are you?

Man?

Man?

I am there's a struggle connected to this. This is very heavy. This was very very The nation dodged a bullet, not just Donald Trump. I don't even want to think about what the level of discussion would be, what the level of animus would be, what the level of hostility retaliation would be, if there had been a God forbid that was an extreme in consequence. So the question is what will we make it mean? I really appreciated, and I hope your audience does as well, what you were saying before. We understand how we got here. We got here because this is what's easier for the two party system. It's easier to say the other side is worse. It's easier to play to the fringes. Works for clicks, it works for polling, works for the media very well, and it works for the primary structure, which is where the parties get their power at the state level, really not at the federal level. So that's how it got here.

I am there's a struggle connected to this. This is very heavy. This was very very The nation dodged a bullet, not just Donald Trump. I don't even want to think about what the level of discussion would be, what the level of animus would be, what the level of hostility retaliation would be, if there had been a God forbid that was an extreme in consequence. So the question is what will we make it mean? I really appreciated, and I hope your audience does as well, what you were saying before. We understand how we got here. We got here because this is what's easier for the two party system. It's easier to say the other side is worse. It's easier to play to the fringes. Works for clicks, it works for polling, works for the media very well, and it works for the primary structure, which is where the parties get their power at the state level, really not at the federal level. So that's how it got here.

Because easier easier for the parties to say which is worse, to do all of this, to never do this and compromise cooperation.

Because easier easier for the parties to say which is worse, to do all of this, to never do this and compromise cooperation.

That's hard. Comparing ideas, that's hard. Scaring you by being a threat to the democracy, scaring you by saying that you're destroying America's fabric, depending on which side you want to listen to. This is easier. But look where it got us. The question is how do we use this moment the immediate indication about all of our leadership, including Trump. Of course I put the least pressure on him because he's got to deal with getting shot.

That's hard. Comparing ideas, that's hard. Scaring you by being a threat to the democracy, scaring you by saying that you're destroying America's fabric, depending on which side you want to listen to. This is easier. But look where it got us. The question is how do we use this moment the immediate indication about all of our leadership, including Trump. Of course I put the least pressure on him because he's got to deal with getting shot.

In the head.

In the head.

The man was just shot in the head, right, Okay, So I don't know what that did to him personally. I can't imagine how I would process it. But the platitudes of there's no place for violence in our politics. We wish him a recovery. Let's remember what America is about. That's all platitudes. It's all bullshit because nobody acts on it. Donald Trump picking JD. Vance as his running mate, it means that he is not trying to make the most of this moment. Jd Vance is just an echo of his fringe. JD Vance started as a guy who was an interpreter of like, you know, the the you know, Cracker Town of like the Hillbillies. Hillbilly Elogy was his book. Now he's become that. He's put out some of them most useless and obnoxious commentary since the assassination attempt, and I believe that's what it was. And people on the left who want to play stupid games about it being something else sound like what they say they oppose, which is the righty fringe with their crazy conspiracies. So my point is this, Jade Vance is not a good sign that Trump has decided to become a transcendent figure because of what he lived through and the opportunity it was there to shift from stoking the fury of the few to connecting to the many. We're desperate for it. That's why people are so excited about you getting involved more with social commentary. And political commentary. We need reasonable, we need people without a team tonight. I'm not going to tell people what to think or how to feel. I'm just going to tell them what I've decided this moment means to me. I was really scared when I saw what was happening that day. I was worried there was going to be more. I ate four ice cream sandwiches.

The man was just shot in the head, right, Okay, So I don't know what that did to him personally. I can't imagine how I would process it. But the platitudes of there's no place for violence in our politics. We wish him a recovery. Let's remember what America is about. That's all platitudes. It's all bullshit because nobody acts on it. Donald Trump picking JD. Vance as his running mate, it means that he is not trying to make the most of this moment. Jd Vance is just an echo of his fringe. JD Vance started as a guy who was an interpreter of like, you know, the the you know, Cracker Town of like the Hillbillies. Hillbilly Elogy was his book. Now he's become that. He's put out some of them most useless and obnoxious commentary since the assassination attempt, and I believe that's what it was. And people on the left who want to play stupid games about it being something else sound like what they say they oppose, which is the righty fringe with their crazy conspiracies. So my point is this, Jade Vance is not a good sign that Trump has decided to become a transcendent figure because of what he lived through and the opportunity it was there to shift from stoking the fury of the few to connecting to the many. We're desperate for it. That's why people are so excited about you getting involved more with social commentary. And political commentary. We need reasonable, we need people without a team tonight. I'm not going to tell people what to think or how to feel. I'm just going to tell them what I've decided this moment means to me. I was really scared when I saw what was happening that day. I was worried there was going to be more. I ate four ice cream sandwiches.

I know that sounds.

I know that sounds.

Silly, but literally that's how desperate I was to feel better about it. My kids were freaked out, my wife was freaked out. I started to get all these stupid threats online because people say stupid things online, you know, triggered security concerns. But I'm not living my life that way. What are we gonna make of the moment, Stephen, That's the test for us.

Silly, but literally that's how desperate I was to feel better about it. My kids were freaked out, my wife was freaked out. I started to get all these stupid threats online because people say stupid things online, you know, triggered security concerns. But I'm not living my life that way. What are we gonna make of the moment, Stephen, That's the test for us.

I agree with you, Chris, and I'm not one thousand percent, But when you talk about the fear that you had, I'd like you to crystallize for our audience when you were scared seeing what had happened to him, What specifically was your fear.

I agree with you, Chris, and I'm not one thousand percent, But when you talk about the fear that you had, I'd like you to crystallize for our audience when you were scared seeing what had happened to him, What specifically was your fear.

God forbid, Donald Trump is mortally injured and what that will be for the slice of his country that is anxious to act on their grievance and outrage.

God forbid, Donald Trump is mortally injured and what that will be for the slice of his country that is anxious to act on their grievance and outrage.

What excuse it would be?

What excuse it would be?

Yes, and how I am so only aware though I rarely talk about it because I don't want to talk anything into existence. We give ourselves a lot for being civilized. We give ourselves a lot of credit for being better.

Yes, and how I am so only aware though I rarely talk about it because I don't want to talk anything into existence. We give ourselves a lot for being civilized. We give ourselves a lot of credit for being better.

Than what we see around the world as a country. As a country.

Than what we see around the world as a country. As a country.

Yes, and it is very fragile. Look at January sixth, you know, the best secured place in the world. You know, a bunch of guys without a plan. You almost over ran it, you know, I mean really they did, to be honest, but it is all so so fragile, and we could have really horrible things happening here very easily, and we're very fortunate that it isn't happening. And I was very worried that there would be bad things. I was worried for Trump, you know. And I know people anybody who has a problem with me saying that has a real problem. He's not Hitler.

Yes, and it is very fragile. Look at January sixth, you know, the best secured place in the world. You know, a bunch of guys without a plan. You almost over ran it, you know, I mean really they did, to be honest, but it is all so so fragile, and we could have really horrible things happening here very easily, and we're very fortunate that it isn't happening. And I was very worried that there would be bad things. I was worried for Trump, you know. And I know people anybody who has a problem with me saying that has a real problem. He's not Hitler.

Tell them said he is hitler.

Tell them said he is hitler.

He's not Hitler. And I get that it works for you. I get works keeping people afraid. There is no deep state, there is no left wing radical enterprise that is moving everything, and controlling the courts. This is all bullshit. It is all done to scare you into obeisance, to make you follow, to make you do, and it is working tremendously well by both sides and their worst aspects. I believe it, So if you don't want to believe it, you don't have to believe it. I believe it, so I don't want to hear it. So what I am choosing to do, Stephen, is I am going to speak to the many and tell you where I am and where I'm coming from on it, and what I'm going to tolerate and what I'm not going to tolerate, and what I'm going to allow on my platforms and what I'm not going to allow. Because I'm tired of being a place where I have to compete with magnifying minority views and minority opinions and minority grievances that don't apply to the overwhelming number of Americans and their families. And I think it's time that each of us decide to use the control that we have. You want to be on social media, find get on there and start yelling about how what you don't like the two sides doing. Pick a team. If you want, but start criticizing your team the way we for the Knicks, right and the Jets, instead of thinking that everything your team does is okay and the other team is evil. We have to make a change. This was too close. It's too easy for us to fall into chaos.

He's not Hitler. And I get that it works for you. I get works keeping people afraid. There is no deep state, there is no left wing radical enterprise that is moving everything, and controlling the courts. This is all bullshit. It is all done to scare you into obeisance, to make you follow, to make you do, and it is working tremendously well by both sides and their worst aspects. I believe it, So if you don't want to believe it, you don't have to believe it. I believe it, so I don't want to hear it. So what I am choosing to do, Stephen, is I am going to speak to the many and tell you where I am and where I'm coming from on it, and what I'm going to tolerate and what I'm not going to tolerate, and what I'm going to allow on my platforms and what I'm not going to allow. Because I'm tired of being a place where I have to compete with magnifying minority views and minority opinions and minority grievances that don't apply to the overwhelming number of Americans and their families. And I think it's time that each of us decide to use the control that we have. You want to be on social media, find get on there and start yelling about how what you don't like the two sides doing. Pick a team. If you want, but start criticizing your team the way we for the Knicks, right and the Jets, instead of thinking that everything your team does is okay and the other team is evil. We have to make a change. This was too close. It's too easy for us to fall into chaos.

Right. I'm certainly not absolving the American public, particularly the trolls and others on social media, for some of the egregious things that they say and appear willing to do. But you heard me earlier talking about the politicians and the pundits, and I said, you know the issues, and you know, you know, I brought up Donna Brazil, who I have profound respect for and has been around a long time. But I'm not really wanting to figure at her. I'm just using her to crystallize the point that I was trying to make because of what I saw talking to us about how these are your brothers and these are your sisters on the opposite side of the island, stuff like that. And she's historically a very reasonable person, so I'm certainly not questioning her. But I guess what I'm saying is there are too many people that are political pundits. They don't tell us about the good relationships that they have with folks, with their lives. They've been promoting, and they've been pushing the divide, and I don't want to be lectured, and I don't want the American people be electured for stuff to go ahead. I'm sorry.

Right. I'm certainly not absolving the American public, particularly the trolls and others on social media, for some of the egregious things that they say and appear willing to do. But you heard me earlier talking about the politicians and the pundits, and I said, you know the issues, and you know, you know, I brought up Donna Brazil, who I have profound respect for and has been around a long time. But I'm not really wanting to figure at her. I'm just using her to crystallize the point that I was trying to make because of what I saw talking to us about how these are your brothers and these are your sisters on the opposite side of the island, stuff like that. And she's historically a very reasonable person, so I'm certainly not questioning her. But I guess what I'm saying is there are too many people that are political pundits. They don't tell us about the good relationships that they have with folks, with their lives. They've been promoting, and they've been pushing the divide, and I don't want to be lectured, and I don't want the American people be electured for stuff to go ahead. I'm sorry.

All you have to do is at some point, look at what happens in a commercial break on any cable news show.

All you have to do is at some point, look at what happens in a commercial break on any cable news show.

These people thank you.

These people thank you.

Nap out of character just as fast as they snap in. I see it all the time, Stephen. Now I don't really allow it on my shows. That's why I do so much one on one and that's why I'm so transparent about my relationship with people.

Nap out of character just as fast as they snap in. I see it all the time, Stephen. Now I don't really allow it on my shows. That's why I do so much one on one and that's why I'm so transparent about my relationship with people.

I mean, look, I have.

I mean, look, I have.

Little Riley on every week. The guy treats me with complete contempt on a regular basis. That's his choice. I still like it. I just see him as an angry old man. The relationship, it's a great segment. It's a great segen people, Stephen. They come on, oh, Stephen, you're dangerous for the country, and you're this, and you're that. Then you go into commercial and they're like, Stephen, you are you are crazy? Hey, did you hear from Ronnie the other day? Were you at that thing or you weren't at it? Yeah, I'll call you after this. But you know it's all an act. It's all an act because it works. And I'm just saying it's time to blow up the game. You want to blow up, you want to destroy, you want to disrupt. Great, there's one thing that countries around the world don't see us as the standard in anymore. They still want to be us. They want our culture, they want our individuality, they want our collectivism, they want our economy, they want our culture. They don't want our politics. They point at our politics and say, you guys are paralyzed and polarized. Those are the words I heard spoken by an international affairs effort yesterday and it hit me like it hit me right across the face. We are paralyzed and polarized. And there's only one reason for that, Stephen advantage. It works for the parties. They don't have to do anything. They just have to promise to stop the other side. They just have to keep us scared and where they're inaction is enough and they.

Little Riley on every week. The guy treats me with complete contempt on a regular basis. That's his choice. I still like it. I just see him as an angry old man. The relationship, it's a great segment. It's a great segen people, Stephen. They come on, oh, Stephen, you're dangerous for the country, and you're this, and you're that. Then you go into commercial and they're like, Stephen, you are you are crazy? Hey, did you hear from Ronnie the other day? Were you at that thing or you weren't at it? Yeah, I'll call you after this. But you know it's all an act. It's all an act because it works. And I'm just saying it's time to blow up the game. You want to blow up, you want to destroy, you want to disrupt. Great, there's one thing that countries around the world don't see us as the standard in anymore. They still want to be us. They want our culture, they want our individuality, they want our collectivism, they want our economy, they want our culture. They don't want our politics. They point at our politics and say, you guys are paralyzed and polarized. Those are the words I heard spoken by an international affairs effort yesterday and it hit me like it hit me right across the face. We are paralyzed and polarized. And there's only one reason for that, Stephen advantage. It works for the parties. They don't have to do anything. They just have to promise to stop the other side. They just have to keep us scared and where they're inaction is enough and they.

Have played Chris. I've said this for years. The only work the politicians really do is campaign because once you went office, all you have to do is agree with your side. It's like, we're not compromised and we want to agree with our side, and that's it. But let me ask you this. Let me ask you this because I said this as well. I think when you take into account the fact that he was shot, he gets up, blood is trickling down the side of his face, he raises his fist, he screams fight, fight, fight three times. He's surrounded by Secret Service, and then you have the American flag behind him. I don't think you can buy a better photo than that. And I said to myself, my first thought was you just won him the election. Yeah. To that, you say, well, that's true.

Have played Chris. I've said this for years. The only work the politicians really do is campaign because once you went office, all you have to do is agree with your side. It's like, we're not compromised and we want to agree with our side, and that's it. But let me ask you this. Let me ask you this because I said this as well. I think when you take into account the fact that he was shot, he gets up, blood is trickling down the side of his face, he raises his fist, he screams fight, fight, fight three times. He's surrounded by Secret Service, and then you have the American flag behind him. I don't think you can buy a better photo than that. And I said to myself, my first thought was you just won him the election. Yeah. To that, you say, well, that's true.

I think that the I think the internal disputing of the Democrats about Biden won him the election. There's been hard planted, a fundamental obstacle that Biden can't overcome, and the party gave it to him. So I think Trump was already in good shape and now he earned this. The way he decided to behave after he was shot in the head is his choice and it was brave af I don't know where that came from. He stopped the Secret Service, he said wait, wait, wait, wait, and he wanted people to see. He wanted them to see it. And you know, people are like, oh, ever the showman, I say, f you, I say that was some bravery on display right there. That was ballsy. I would have been ducking and running for my life and he chose to do something else. And I give him credit for it. And I don't care how anybody else feels about that. Is he gonna win? Look, he was the odds on favorite before. Things are trending the wrong way. I don't know. There's such compressed news cycles. So much can happen. Poles are so wrong so often, but it's certainly moving the right way now. If he were to take advantage of this moment, Stephen, then it would be over. And it would be over, I believe for the best interests of the country. If you were to say, look, I'm done frightening people on the fringe, I'm done.

I think that the I think the internal disputing of the Democrats about Biden won him the election. There's been hard planted, a fundamental obstacle that Biden can't overcome, and the party gave it to him. So I think Trump was already in good shape and now he earned this. The way he decided to behave after he was shot in the head is his choice and it was brave af I don't know where that came from. He stopped the Secret Service, he said wait, wait, wait, wait, and he wanted people to see. He wanted them to see it. And you know, people are like, oh, ever the showman, I say, f you, I say that was some bravery on display right there. That was ballsy. I would have been ducking and running for my life and he chose to do something else. And I give him credit for it. And I don't care how anybody else feels about that. Is he gonna win? Look, he was the odds on favorite before. Things are trending the wrong way. I don't know. There's such compressed news cycles. So much can happen. Poles are so wrong so often, but it's certainly moving the right way now. If he were to take advantage of this moment, Stephen, then it would be over. And it would be over, I believe for the best interests of the country. If you were to say, look, I'm done frightening people on the fringe, I'm done.

You get that.

You get that.

I'm with you. You know that I understand things. I'm gonna make changes at the border. I do not hate migrants. Okay, I'm gonna make changes. I am not gonna chase after Democrats, don't. I believe there's a deep state. I'm gonna work on the bureaucracy. I am not on some holy war. I am going to work with the other side. I am gonna do things that Republicans aren't going to like. I'm gonna get things done. I'm gonna pass more legislation than ever, and I'm gonna do my damnedest to not succumb to negativity. I am here to resurrect not Project twenty twenty five, something that people are forgotten or never knew about.

I'm with you. You know that I understand things. I'm gonna make changes at the border. I do not hate migrants. Okay, I'm gonna make changes. I am not gonna chase after Democrats, don't. I believe there's a deep state. I'm gonna work on the bureaucracy. I am not on some holy war. I am going to work with the other side. I am gonna do things that Republicans aren't going to like. I'm gonna get things done. I'm gonna pass more legislation than ever, and I'm gonna do my damnedest to not succumb to negativity. I am here to resurrect not Project twenty twenty five, something that people are forgotten or never knew about.

Right.

Right.

Jared Kushner's original job description once Donald Trump was elected was their most important initiative that not never got off the ground, and it was called dj T one hundred. Dj T one hundred was Donald John Trump one hundred percent approval. That was what Jared Kushner was originally in charge of, to come up with an agenda and a pr mechanism to let Trump be the most popular president in history. Now he got sidetracked by his mouth, playing to the fringe, playing to the people who helped him get in, and of course all the attacks from the other side, and he got into survival mode and went with what made most sense to him at the time. And DJT one hundred was gone. They should bring it back. They should talk about it out loud, and they'll say, Oh, he can't change. Everybody changes. This is politics. Nobody's gonna hold him to who he was. It's all about who you want to become. And people saying, don't give him advice, tell Biden to do it. Hey, then Biden should do it. But Trump has a unique advantage because he just got shot in the.

Jared Kushner's original job description once Donald Trump was elected was their most important initiative that not never got off the ground, and it was called dj T one hundred. Dj T one hundred was Donald John Trump one hundred percent approval. That was what Jared Kushner was originally in charge of, to come up with an agenda and a pr mechanism to let Trump be the most popular president in history. Now he got sidetracked by his mouth, playing to the fringe, playing to the people who helped him get in, and of course all the attacks from the other side, and he got into survival mode and went with what made most sense to him at the time. And DJT one hundred was gone. They should bring it back. They should talk about it out loud, and they'll say, Oh, he can't change. Everybody changes. This is politics. Nobody's gonna hold him to who he was. It's all about who you want to become. And people saying, don't give him advice, tell Biden to do it. Hey, then Biden should do it. But Trump has a unique advantage because he just got shot in the.

Nobody should do it. But before I'll let you get on out of here. Just today it was announced that the Trump's mar al Lago classified documents case was dismissed. I made the argument that while the Capitol riots in the twenty twenty election is still pending, while the Georgia twenty twenty election interference case is still pending, I don't think there's a prosecutor alive that can bring him into court at this particular moment after what just transpired, and obviously Thursday him being the official GOP nominee instead of the presumptive nominee. That's what I think. Am I right or wrong?

Nobody should do it. But before I'll let you get on out of here. Just today it was announced that the Trump's mar al Lago classified documents case was dismissed. I made the argument that while the Capitol riots in the twenty twenty election is still pending, while the Georgia twenty twenty election interference case is still pending, I don't think there's a prosecutor alive that can bring him into court at this particular moment after what just transpired, and obviously Thursday him being the official GOP nominee instead of the presumptive nominee. That's what I think. Am I right or wrong?

Look, you're right practically, but that's not how the law works. Could they yes?

Look, you're right practically, but that's not how the law works. Could they yes?

Will they know?

Will they know?

Because the process won't allow it. I mean, litigation is very slow, and they have very good arguments on their side in terms of slowing it down with an election being in the balance, which you know we've had this. I believe hyper idealistic idea that no one's above the law and it doesn't matter that there's an election. Neither of those things is completely accurate. I'm not saying anybody's above the law, but there is prosecutorial discretion, and you don't bring every case you can. We just thought with Alec Baldwin. Yeah, they hid evidence and that is disgusted and I hope that they follow up with those prosecutors and see who did what and why. But if his name is an Alec Baldwin, they never bring the case in the first place. And that's not the business we should be in. And the people who should agree most are all the five foot pen inch one hundred and sixty five pound black men under the age of twenty five who have been hauled in for generations for things that they are suspected of on the basis of appearance and location que that they had nothing to do with, and they sit and rot in jails all over the country because they can't get out either because of how the procedures work. Or how the bail system would work at that time, and so now we know there's a two tier justice system. It's like everybody on the lower socioeconomic rungs is shaking their heads because it's like, oh, yeah, now because it's drunk. You guys understand because it's AALC. Baldwin. It's been like this for us for generations. So could they haul them in?

Because the process won't allow it. I mean, litigation is very slow, and they have very good arguments on their side in terms of slowing it down with an election being in the balance, which you know we've had this. I believe hyper idealistic idea that no one's above the law and it doesn't matter that there's an election. Neither of those things is completely accurate. I'm not saying anybody's above the law, but there is prosecutorial discretion, and you don't bring every case you can. We just thought with Alec Baldwin. Yeah, they hid evidence and that is disgusted and I hope that they follow up with those prosecutors and see who did what and why. But if his name is an Alec Baldwin, they never bring the case in the first place. And that's not the business we should be in. And the people who should agree most are all the five foot pen inch one hundred and sixty five pound black men under the age of twenty five who have been hauled in for generations for things that they are suspected of on the basis of appearance and location que that they had nothing to do with, and they sit and rot in jails all over the country because they can't get out either because of how the procedures work. Or how the bail system would work at that time, and so now we know there's a two tier justice system. It's like everybody on the lower socioeconomic rungs is shaking their heads because it's like, oh, yeah, now because it's drunk. You guys understand because it's AALC. Baldwin. It's been like this for us for generations. So could they haul them in?

Yes?

Yes?

Should they know? Did Judge Cannon make a good ruling? No, she made a hypertechnical ruling that's going to lose on appeal because the idea that special councils are not institutional is I think a very very simplistic ruling, and it'll play itself out, but that case is certainly be stymied now for the duration of the election.

Should they know? Did Judge Cannon make a good ruling? No, she made a hypertechnical ruling that's going to lose on appeal because the idea that special councils are not institutional is I think a very very simplistic ruling, and it'll play itself out, but that case is certainly be stymied now for the duration of the election.

Last question, Democrats, what can they do at this point to win the election in light of all the momentum? And I hate using that word considering what transpired this weekend because I don't want to come across as remotely insensitive to what nearly happened to the former president. But nevertheless, there's a momentum that he's riding right now because in some people's eyes, he's even more of a martyr than he was before this weekend. So what can the Democrats do to get stuff back on track to some degree and make it a competitive thing based on policy against policy as opposed to what we're looking at right now.

Last question, Democrats, what can they do at this point to win the election in light of all the momentum? And I hate using that word considering what transpired this weekend because I don't want to come across as remotely insensitive to what nearly happened to the former president. But nevertheless, there's a momentum that he's riding right now because in some people's eyes, he's even more of a martyr than he was before this weekend. So what can the Democrats do to get stuff back on track to some degree and make it a competitive thing based on policy against policy as opposed to what we're looking at right now.

If Trump doesn't take the moment, meaning he doesn't call the shooter's father and say, hey, listen, I know how you must feel right now now, and you are not your son, Let's talk about how you think he may have gotten there. Maybe there's something in it that I can use to talk to other people about their parents, like John Paul the Second did when he got shot. I'm not comparing Trump to a pope, but the magnanimity, the magnanimous nature.

If Trump doesn't take the moment, meaning he doesn't call the shooter's father and say, hey, listen, I know how you must feel right now now, and you are not your son, Let's talk about how you think he may have gotten there. Maybe there's something in it that I can use to talk to other people about their parents, like John Paul the Second did when he got shot. I'm not comparing Trump to a pope, but the magnanimity, the magnanimous nature.

Of that would be huge.

Of that would be huge.

He goes and he doesn't pick Vance. He picked somebody who could be president right away. Because Vance can't be president. He's as much of a problem in that respect as Kamala Harris, if not more, And he only plays to the most vicious aspect of Trump's fringe, which he doesn't need to stoke. Now, the Democrats have an opportunity. If Trump passes it, he gets first DIBs. The man just got shot in the head. He gets first DIBs. On making something of this moment, because it's defined by what happened to him. He passes on it, and just as the platitudes just does the minimum, there's a chance for the Democrats to jump in and say, hey, look, we can't be where we are right now. We understand that there's a game that we've been involved in. We got to change the game. We've got to be about what's better for this country, how we get things done. We are not in the business of trading barbs with Donald Trump. Joe Biden is old, but he still knows what's right. And we've got to get things done. And we got to stop fighting. And we're going to find anybody who wants to be a part of anything like that. That's the only people we're speaking against. We're going to call out to people who want to show us at our worst. There's an opportunity in it. Not as much as there is for Trump, not as much as there is for Trump, but there's also an opportunity for us because we are part of this. People blame the media too much. We're an echo. We're not the voice. We're an echo. But how loud an echo is, how long it resonates which parts of the spoken message we decide to repeat and communicate. Those are all choices, what we allow, what we disallow. Too many of us play to what works rather than plays playing to what's right. And I think there is a moment in this and I think each one of us has to make a choice about it, about what we say and how we use it and what it means. And I'm gonna do that tonight. I'm gonna do it every night again.