The Erika Kirk Situation is Worse Than You Think

0:00 We've got to talk about this crazy Erica Kirk situation.

0:02 MAGA street fight.

0:03 The disturbing new David murder case details

0:05 some huge Iran war developments and how

0:07 the Republicans are making a mad dash to try to rig the midterms.

0:10 first, I have a quick, special guest.

0:12 Hey, guys.

0:13 So I'm Lindsey DeFranco,

0:14 and I'm running for Georgia State House and district 47.

0:17 Let me show you the map, because a lot of people,

0:19 because of gerrymandering, don't even know what district they're in.

0:22 If you need to know a district attorney candidate's website right here.

0:24 Now, look, my district encompasses some of northwest, Roswell,

0:28 northeast Alpharetta, Milton, and every home up in Cherokee County.

0:32 Very convenient.

0:33 I will be bringing this everywhere with me now.

0:35 Let me tell you a little secret.

0:37 This seat in district 47 has been held by the same Republican for 24 years.

0:42 That's right.

0:43 This district has not been competitive since 2002.

0:46 And just to give you a little detail on how long that's been, I was 12.

0:50 I was 12 the last time the seat was up for grabs.

0:52 And it's not just my seat.

0:54 The Georgia State House is ten seats away from flipping it from red to blue.

0:59 Just ten seats.

1:00 And the math is there.

1:01 The math works.

1:01 And we really have a good shot this year.

1:03 And I think the Republicans are kind of scared.

1:05 We are so close to being able to break through

1:08 a Republican supermajority that has held this state for decades.

1:11 district has changed.

1:12 The state has changed.

1:14 And fortunately, I don't have a primary opponent.

1:16 So I will be on the ballot in November no matter what.

1:19 However, the frontrunner to run against me

1:21 on the Republican side is a 24 year old,

1:25 24 year old who was handpicked by the Republican establishment.

1:29 And one of his most notable endorsements came from a Georgia fake elector,

1:33 Georgia fake elector who is now a state senator.

1:37 Yeah.

1:37 He's endorsed by a Republican who signed

1:39 a fraudulent document after the 2020 election,

1:42 claiming that Trump actually won Georgia when

1:44 he didn't percolate on that a little bit.

1:46 I'm not exaggerating.

1:47 You can go look it up.

1:48 here's the deal.

1:49 The Georgia fundraising deadline is tonight at midnight.

1:52 And while still and I have put in a bunch of our own

1:55 money because we truly believe that we can win this race.

1:57 The fact of the matter is, in general,

2:01 Republicans are able to put more money into politics,

2:03 but also especially in this district.

2:05 It's the Republican Party that has more money.

2:07 And I believe that once they realize what they're really up against,

2:11 they're going to pump in a lot more.

2:12 So how can you help?

2:13 I'm so glad you asked.

2:15 You can go to Lindsey for ga.com.

2:17 That's ally and say why f o r ga.com and click on donate.

2:24 There's a there's a big donate button

2:25 at the top and chip in whatever you can $5,

2:28 $10, $25, $100, $500, $5,000, $500,000, $5 million.

2:35 You know, whatever you can do.

2:37 We all deserve representation that delivers on affordability, health care,

2:40 strong and safe communities, fully funded public schools and more opportunity.

2:44 Not just more of the same with a different tie.

2:46 Your government should work as hard as you do.

2:48 And one more thing.

2:49 As most of us know, yesterday the Supreme Court decided

2:51 to gut the Voting Rights Act or what was left of it.

2:54 So if there was ever a time to put your money

2:56 behind people who are trying to hold the line in Georgia,

2:59 it's now the time is now.

3:01 LFG, which stands for Lindsey for Georgia.

3:04 Thank you so much for your time.

3:05 I love you so much.

3:06 I guess you can have Phil back now.

3:09 Erica Kirk just hit at Candace Owens.

3:11 Drew ski journalists and even teachers and American citizens.

3:14 With Kirk posing a video addressing the white

3:16 House Correspondents Dinner shooting, which he attended.

3:18 and she started by saying this.

3:19 Seems to me that nothing will ever be enough for the evil in this world.

3:24 Our country has become unrecognizable.

3:27 These people have perverted the truth to the point

3:30 that they motivated the murder of my husband.

3:34 They have continuously tried to assassinate the president you know,

3:36 you have many of her supporters waiting

3:38 for this, because the video from the dinner

3:39 showed Erica leaving after the shooting and tears

3:41 saying she just wanted to go home.

3:43 you also had some questioning why she went in the first place,

3:45 with some noting that she previously backed out of a turning

3:47 point event with JD Vance because of security threats,

3:49 even though Secret Service would be present.

3:50 but seemingly it was because she wanted to confront reporters head on.

3:53 was because many of the journalists

3:55 in that room have attempted to dehumanize me.

3:59 And I wanted to meet some of them face to face, quite frankly.

4:02 Why have a conversation about me when you can have a conversation with me?

4:07 with Erica seeming to take issue

4:08 with the fact that reporters from opposing outlets,

4:10 we're spending the night playing nice, even though they knew the next day

4:12 they just returned to conflict and infighting.

4:14 then she was also upset with her choice

4:15 to immediately pull out their phones after shots broke out.

4:17 And so during an act of shooting,

4:19 these journalists are using their phones to find moments to capture for clips.

4:24 There were so concerned about getting a video in a room

4:27 with an active shooter that they could have accidentally,

4:31 and quite literally, filmed themselves being shot.

4:36 Many of those people have become so desensitized that fight or flight

4:42 became secondary to the opportunity of putting themselves into the story,

4:46 Erica then taking aim at the suspected shooter,

4:48 who's a teacher and engineer from California,

4:50 but then also not just hitting him, but all teachers.

4:53 is why Charlie started Turning Point USA in the first place.

4:56 He didn't trust the radicalized liberal teachers.

4:59 You have these people who are supposed to be

5:01 teaching our children the future of this country.

5:05 And he's so unhinged that he is able to teach children by day

5:09 and then attempt to murder the president of the United States by night.

5:16 And in his manifesto, he starts by contextualizing himself, by saying,

5:21 I am a citizen of the United States of America.

5:26 And while we may have big problems with illegal

5:28 immigration in this country, I have to tell you,

5:32 we have an even bigger problem when it comes

5:34 to this systemic indoctrination and radicalization of our own citizens.

5:40 This is what got my husband killed.

5:42 you then had Erica Kirk expressing sympathy for Melania Trump

5:44 for having to endure multiple assassination attempts against her husband.

5:47 also called out anyone who she thinks mocked it, starting with Jimmy Kimmel.

5:50 Right.

5:50 And then she focused on what she's

5:52 dealt with personally since Charlie was killed.

5:53 Every morning I wake up to a new headline lying about me.

5:59 I have comedians dressing up in white face.

6:04 I have people saying I'm not fit to be CEO,

6:07 and I have Candace Owens claiming I murdered my husband.

6:11 it's there.

6:12 She's clearly referring to the bit that Bruschi did where

6:14 he dressed up as a, white Republican woman who loves pyrotechnics.

6:18 then, of course, there's Candace Owens, who has spent months stringing together

6:20 webs of conspiracies about Charlie's death.

6:22 though, depending on who you ask,

6:24 you'll get varying answers as to whether or not Candace is actually implicated.

6:27 Erica, of any wrongdoing.

6:28 you actually had Candace shooting back pretty

6:29 quickly to defend herself first on Twitter,

6:31 writing, very uncomfortable to watch.

6:32 Painful prompter read a speech clearly written by someone else.

6:35 Also, of everything I've said about Erica,

6:37 she chooses to respond to something I never said.

6:39 They always lie.

6:40 when the people correctly point out that she lied,

6:42 they will inevitably tell us it's our fault for noticing.

6:44 Because she's lost her husband.

6:46 It's a merry go round from hell.

6:47 then actually later on her show, she added.

6:49 it's nobody's fault that Erica went to that event other than Erica,

6:53 Weekend is also slamming Erica for being

6:55 upset with journalists who filmed amid the shooting,

6:57 arguing that people did the same thing when Charlie was shot.

6:59 and again, you had a rejecting that she's

7:01 ever directly claimed that Erica killed Charlie.

7:02 the performance of all this is not good.

7:04 just an obvious lie.

7:05 She wakes up the headlines and Candace Owens saying that she killed her husband.

7:09 The widow grift and trying to tell us that she's

7:12 allowed to lie to us because her husband died,

7:15 is is so on its face absurd that it should be rejected by all people everywhere.

7:20 also on Instagram, you had Candace claiming that tp USA would be using the white

7:23 House Correspondents Dinner as an excuse

7:24 to cancel future events and tours with Erica.

7:26 the then of course, with all

7:28 this, there were other reactions aside from Candace.

7:29 of there being plenty of people backing Erica up,

7:31 applauding her message and choice to defend herself, condemning Candace.

7:34 Well.

7:35 Yes.

7:35 When you go to different places, you get a number of different reactions.

7:37 Most of the reactions we've been able to find in this video,

7:39 they were pretty negative.

7:40 we're just a ton of people making fun of her outfit,

7:42 saying that she's calling out an assassination

7:44 attempt while dressed like an assassin.

7:45 Meets member of fallout boy.

7:47 Others just replying or reposting very distinct facial expressions.

7:50 She made.

7:50 People also face swapping or with drew ski.

7:52 Others also hoping drew ski clowns on her.

7:54 a number of people think that, you know,

7:55 all she's doing with these kinds of videos

7:56 is turning public favor away from her.

7:58 also at the same time people thinking that she's just

8:00 pushing more eyes towards what is the Drew Ski skit?

8:03 What is Candace Owens saying?

8:04 But with all this is where you wait to see what happens next.

8:06 I got to ask you, what are your thoughts,

8:08 opinions and reactions to everything we just saw?

8:10 just let me know in those comments down below.

8:12 though also I'll say this is not the only

8:14 story that people are dissecting online right now.

8:16 this next one does involve the person

8:17 at the center of it being accused of murder.

8:19 Because we now have the details on the allegations against David,

8:21 on the murder and dismemberment of 14 year old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

8:25 if you're not the most familiar with David,

8:26 he's that singer who got his start making music for Fortnite videos on YouTube.

8:29 got very popular online very fast.

8:31 He played at Coachella, went platinum, even open for season 2023.

8:34 then last year, his fame turned into infamy when the body

8:37 of a teenager was discovered in the trunk of his Tesla.

8:38 where there were headlines about it

8:40 in September of last year with police responding

8:41 to reports of a foul smell coming from a car impounded at the Hollywood tow lot.

8:45 car reportedly been abandoned and towed.

8:46 But when police got there to check out the smell, they found Celeste remains,

8:49 with the men finding out that the car was registered to David,

8:51 whose legal name is David Burke, and he was connected to the case as a suspect.

8:54 and all of this, ended up with David canceling

8:56 the rest of his tour for his first full length album.

8:58 But he also wasn't officially arrested until earlier this month.

9:00 and now we've got these court filings from prosecutors that outline a very,

9:04 very horrific chain of events, both leading up to Celeste death and afterwards.

9:07 to.

9:07 According to prosecutors,

9:08 David met Celeste when she was just 11 years old, and they,

9:11 quote, began a sexual relationship two years later

9:13 when he was 18 and she was 13.

9:15 Personally, that just sounds like a crime to me.

9:17 But again, I'm just reporting this.

9:19 What they're saying, and also during this time,

9:20 Celeste ran away from home and was reported missing in February of 2024.

9:23 you.

9:23 Police reportedly contacting David,

9:24 who said that he had only met Celeste once and didn't know that she was a minor.

9:27 But then when Celeste reportedly returned home

9:29 and had her phone taken away by her parents,

9:30 according to prosecutors, David Page, one of Celeste friends.

9:32 $1,000 to get another phone to her so they could continue talking.

9:35 than later, she was reported missing again in April of 2024,

9:38 and she reportedly spent most of that year traveling

9:40 with David and going to his house in the Hollywood Hills.

9:42 then we get to April of 2025 with the filing saying that Celeste and David,

9:45 they had gotten into an argument over text, in saying they argued about, quote,

9:48 the victim's jealousy over the defendant's relationships with other women

9:51 as defendant led her to believe they had a future together,

9:53 with the filing adding she became extremely

9:55 upset and threatened to disclose damaging information

9:57 about her relationship with the defendant

9:59 to end his career and destroy his life.

10:00 then on April 23rd, prosecutors say that Davidson over an Uber

10:03 to pick up Celeste at her home at around 8:40 p.m.

10:05 and bring her to his place in Hollywood Hills.

10:07 when she arrived a little after ten.

10:08 Prosecutors say that David stabbed saying, knowing.

10:10 He had to silence the victim before she

10:12 ruined his music career as she had threatened.

10:14 Very soon after her arrival at his home,

10:16 defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple

10:17 times and stood by while she bled out.

10:19 David also sent Celeste a message around 1030 asking where she was.

10:23 But, according to the prosecutors,

10:24 that was just a way that he was trying to cover his tracks.

10:26 they then go on to say that David bought a couple of chainsaws online

10:29 and use those to cut Celeste body apart

10:31 inside of an inflatable pool in his garage,

10:32 where prosecutors say that her DNA was found.

10:34 brain, they say he also bought a body bag and heavy duty

10:37 laundry bags online to stuff a remains then it also doesn't stop there.

10:39 David is also accused of cutting off two

10:41 Celeste fingers because reportedly they had identifying tattoos.

10:44 and that, including his name on her left ring finger.

10:46 the walls with this neither Celeste fingers have been recovered,

10:48 with the prosecutors saying,

10:50 defendant took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim's body.

10:53 with the matting that he drove over 100 miles,

10:54 three separate times to get rid of the evidence, including Celeste.

10:57 Passport.

10:57 And he allegedly kept her body in the trunk of his car for months,

10:59 lying to friends and business associates.

11:01 When asked about the smell.

11:02 and then on top of all this, when he was arrested,

11:04 prosecutors say that they also found tons

11:05 of nude images of Celeste on his phone.

11:07 with all of that as of now,

11:08 David has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him,

11:11 including First-Degree murder,

11:11 lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 and mutilating a dead body.

11:15 and well, all those charges make him eligible for the death penalty.

11:17 Prosecutors say that they haven't decided whether

11:18 to pursue and as far as his attorneys,

11:20 they gave a statement when he was arrested, saying,

11:22 actual evidence in this case will show

11:23 that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez,

11:25 and he was not the cause of her death.

11:27 saying there has been no indictment returned by any

11:29 grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed.

11:31 David has only been detained under suspicion.

11:33 We will vigorously defend David's innocence.

11:35 as of right now, they haven't given their side of the story yet.

11:37 We do know, though, that the evidentiary hearing

11:39 has been postponed to the end of May,

11:40 so it's likely going to be a while before we get any real conclusion.

11:43 and then there's more we've got to dive into in just a minute.

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12:42 but then diving right back into the news,

12:43 Trump's 60 day deadline for ending the war against Iran.

12:45 That's tomorrow.

12:46 but he's actually considering launching

12:48 more strikes without permission from Congress.

12:49 he's also expecting the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to last months,

12:52 as oil prices have hit their highest level since 2022.

12:54 all of this is thanks germs.

12:55 War that experts have argued is illegal under both U.S.

12:58 and international law.

12:59 largely because of the lack of any real evidence to suggest

13:01 that Iran posed an imminent threat

13:02 or that the administration acted in self-defense.

13:04 the walls are what it comes to US law.

13:05 The other big factor is that Trump

13:07 didn't even consult with Congress before attacking, let alone get permission.

13:10 But also Trump's war could be about to get even more illegal.

13:13 that's because even if this war met the criteria

13:14 for the unilateral use of force by a president,

13:16 the war Powers Resolution in 1973 puts limits on that use of force.

13:21 Under the law.

13:21 The president required to formally notify lawmakers within 48

13:23 hours of entering American forces into hostilities that officially

13:26 begins a 60 day countdown for him to either

13:27 obtain congressional authorization or and the military action.

13:30 and while they can technically extend the clock for an additional 30 days,

13:32 that's only to allow for the safe withdrawal of American forces.

13:35 the way one expert explained it to CBS news was to say it's not

13:37 a 30 day blank check for the president

13:39 to continue whatever hostilities he sees fit.

13:41 in terms of the timeline for Trump's current war.

13:42 The U.S.

13:43 and Israel attacked Iran on February 28th.

13:44 though Trump he formally informed members of Congress on March 2nd.

13:47 So that means that the 60 day deadline is tomorrow.

13:49 though also notably a cease fire has been in effect since April 8th.

13:52 so even another expert actually telling CBS

13:54 that it is possible that the administration

13:56 is going to argue that the cease fire stopped the 60 day clock,

13:58 and that any further hostilities reset the clock altogether.

14:01 And you had Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggesting the white House would

14:03 argue something like that when testifying

14:05 before the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

14:06 and that's even though you have that expert also claiming

14:08 that is not something that by its text or by its design,

14:11 the War Powers Resolution accommodates.

14:13 but adding there is a long history of executive branch lawyers

14:16 willfully misinterpreting the war powers resolution

14:18 to allow presidents to conduct hostilities.

14:20 Even past that, 60 day clock.

14:21 and with that, I have to know that other presidents,

14:23 including not only Trump before this war,

14:24 but also Biden, Obama, Bush and Clinton,

14:27 they've been accused of unconstitutional military actions in the past,

14:30 there were also some would argue

14:31 that the current war is an especially egregious violation

14:33 and that the global consequences are uniquely severe and widespread

14:36 enough that Congress's lack of action is especially shocking.

14:39 or with Republicans in the House and Senate having blocked more than half

14:41 a dozen resolutions that would have

14:43 limited Trump's ability to further strike Iran.

14:44 the also you've had several of them suggesting or stating clearly

14:47 that their position is going to change after the 60 day deadline.

14:49 but also because there's not a lot of trust there.

14:51 You have Democrats also reportedly looking into other options,

14:53 including the possibility of suing the Trump administration if he continues

14:56 the war beyond the deadline without

14:57 congressional authorization the really by the way,

14:59 it's not clear either option will actually work.

15:01 courts have actually dismissed several past war powers related lawsuits,

15:03 and Trump could actually veto a successful war powers resolution,

15:06 which he did in 2019 and 2020, in relation to U.S.

15:09 involvement in Yemen and Iran.

15:10 also with this whole situation, you might have seen a headline that an aircraft

15:13 carrier is going to soon be departing the Middle East.

15:15 people saying that that might be telegraphing what America is going to do.

15:18 But, when looking into it, that's not actually part of a troop drawdown

15:20 or an effort to comply with the law.

15:22 just appears to be because the ship is in need of repairs.

15:24 you.

15:25 That makes sense, because it's been deployed for 309 days, a record, actually,

15:27 for the longest time, any modern U.S aircraft carrier has been at sea.

15:30 also in a similar vein to a Trump announcing

15:32 yesterday that the US is studying and reviewing the possible

15:35 reduction of troops in Germany with a determination

15:36 to be made over the next short period of time.

15:38 but that doesn't appear to be for any strategic reason.

15:40 Instead, it seems like a response to recent

15:42 comments from the German chancellor that the U.S.

15:44 has been humiliated by Iran in this war.

15:46 especially since the announcement was followed up

15:47 with an attack on the Chancellor on social media.

15:49 I will say even before that you had Trump

15:51 considering scaling back the American troop presence in Europe.

15:53 possibility that is especially alarming to many because of Russia's ongoing

15:56 war with Ukraine and fears that Putin may even attack a smaller,

15:59 newer member of NATO like Estonia or Latvia to test the alliance.

16:02 An alliance, of course, that many say has been weakened by Trump's insults,

16:05 threats and unwillingness to reassure its members that the U.S.

16:07 would actually honor its commitments.

16:09 Britain, with Germany specifically,

16:09 like on top of everything else we talked about,

16:11 that's the most important country for the U.S.

16:13 military in Europe.

16:14 Right.

16:14 It's home to what's called European Command.

16:15 It hosts around 35,000 American troops,

16:17 and it's the main hub for medical treatment, aircraft arming and maintenance.

16:21 it's believe that U.S.

16:21 bases in Germany, they played a valuable

16:23 logistical and supporting role in operations against Iran,

16:25 which has actually been a source of controversy over their.

16:27 controversy that might get even bigger,

16:28 as you have Axios reporting at the head of U.S.

16:30 Central Command briefed Trump today on several options,

16:32 the main one being considered apparently being

16:34 a short and powerful wave of strikes in Iran,

16:36 likely including infrastructure targets which would be

16:38 aimed at breaking the stalemate in negotiations.

16:40 with us.

16:40 You at Bloomberg reporting that Centcom is asked to send the Army's

16:43 Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for possible use against Iran.

16:46 where it would be meant to specifically target

16:47 ballistic missile launchers deep inside of the country,

16:49 beyond the range of the military's other weapons.

16:51 actually, if this gets approved, this would be the first time the U.S.

16:53 has deployed the system.

16:54 a system that one is apparently running far behind schedule.

16:57 until hasn't even been declared fully operational,

16:59 despite Russia and China having deployed their own versions.

17:02 but then also in any case,

17:03 another option reportedly being considered is a partial

17:05 takeover of the Strait of Hormuz as part of an effort to reopen it to commercial

17:08 shipping and operation that would also include ground forces.

17:10 and then you have a third option, which has been discussed before,

17:12 which is a special forces mission

17:13 to secure Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

17:16 you have all of this, as military planners are reportedly considering

17:18 the possibility that Iran is going to attack American forces in the region,

17:20 first in retaliation for the blockade,

17:22 which Trump reportedly sees as his main source of leverage right now.

17:25 although he apparently understands that if it's going to work,

17:26 it's going to take time, right.

17:27 With he and other top officials having about oil

17:30 and gas executives at the white House this week.

17:31 them reportedly meeting to discuss, quote,

17:33 steps they could take to continue the current blockade

17:35 for months if needed and minimize impact on American consumers.

17:37 Right.

17:38 Because as we know that people making obscene amounts of money

17:40 off this war while poisoning the air and warming the planet,

17:42 the one thing they obviously have in common is

17:44 that they have the American consumers best interests at heart,

17:46 especially as oil prices have now hit their highest levels since the war began,

17:50 topping $126 per barrel overnight before dropping back down a bit.

17:53 and with that, U.S gas prices, which typically trail oil prices by a few days.

17:56 They've also reached their highest point since the start of the war,

17:59 jumping to a national average of $4.23 a gallon.

18:01 Yesterday.

18:02 cost for drivers has gone up by 42%.

18:04 but despite all that, how it's hitting Americans.

18:06 You had Trump assuring reporters at the white

18:07 House yesterday that the blockade is genius.

18:09 and he also suggested that he's really not

18:10 in a rush for talks with Iran to continue

18:12 saying there will never be a deal unless

18:13 they agree that there will be no nuclear weapon.

18:15 of course Iran they technically said that they don't want a nuclear weapon,

18:18 and the disagreement is over its stockpile

18:20 of uranium and insistence on a right to enrichment.

18:22 so you're saying some experts saying, you know,

18:23 Trump's continued all or nothing approach, it's not exactly conducive to a deal,

18:27 that's also an argument that seems to fit with what

18:28 an anonymous Iranian official reportedly told The Washington Post.

18:31 which is that others in the regime have now given in to pressure

18:33 from the country's military and political hardliners

18:35 to de prioritize negotiations with the US.

18:37 also saying that it would be very difficult for the US to get even

18:40 the five year suspension on enrichment offered

18:42 by Iran during the first round of talks.

18:43 You also had this official acknowledging the impact of Trump's blockade,

18:46 but saying it will not make us surrender.

18:48 have PhD's in sanctions evasion.

18:50 We will find a way.

18:51 we'll have the Iranian economy.

18:52 Yes.

18:52 Struggling with businesses, closing, people losing jobs,

18:55 prices rising in the currency, plummeting.

18:57 There are also signs that the country can just deal with it for a while.

18:59 with, for example, a report from Reuters saying

19:01 that despite everything Iran has plentiful internal supplies,

19:04 steady trade with neighbors and only limited signs of immediate

19:07 stress from state revenue losses caused by the blockade.

19:09 and we'll Trump he's now actually claim more than one.

19:11 So the country's oil infrastructure is so

19:12 backed up it might just explode any day.

19:14 That's almost definitely not true.

19:15 you had one expert telling the Washington Post,

19:17 most agreeing that is not how it works.

19:19 Nothing is going to self-destruct.

19:21 Iran is believed to have weeks or maybe even months before it

19:23 risks running out of places to store the oil that it's producing.

19:25 something that could potentially happen if oil

19:26 facilities have to turn off is a problem known as a shut in, which can

19:29 cause serious damage and make oil reserves inaccessible.

19:32 overall experts disagree about what, if any,

19:33 of the long term impacts can ultimately be if Iran's forced to halt production.

19:37 and either way, for now,

19:38 you have Iranian leadership continuing to strike a defiant tone.

19:40 and you actually had the supreme leader who still hasn't been

19:42 seen in public and is believed to have serious and disfiguring injuries,

19:45 issuing a rare statement this week them suggesting that Iran

19:47 intends to keep control over the Strait of Hormuz,

19:49 saying that its new legal rules and new management will

19:51 make the Gulf more secure and benefit all the region's nations.

19:54 he also vowed to protect Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities.

19:57 And he claimed that the only place that Americans belong

19:59 in the Persian Gulf is at the bottom of its waters.

20:01 saying that a new chapter was being written in the region's history.

20:03 then in the face of all that and his testimony this morning,

20:06 you had said, claiming that everything is just going fantastically.

20:08 But generally echoing many of the same

20:10 point that he made yesterday, again, he said,

20:12 biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless

20:16 naysayers and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans.

20:21 really anyone with eyes and ears who talks or even looks at other

20:25 people know that it's not just Democrats and some Republicans in Congress.

20:28 The war appears to be broadly unpopular.

20:30 even just outside of the administration MAGA world divided

20:32 on this war and increasingly focusing its sights on Israel.

20:35 though notably, you have some of these figures going beyond

20:37 just criticism of Netanyahu and the country's influence in American politics.

20:41 something that you had many saying was on display

20:43 when Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene got together,

20:45 Or with Greene claiming on Carlson's show that this war,

20:47 it's only happening because Trump had to sell

20:49 his soul to Israel like every other politician.

20:51 become president of the United States.

20:54 There's deals that have to be made.

20:56 Otherwise you aren't allowed to have that power.

20:59 And you can look at every single president and look

21:02 at their career and the decisions that they made.

21:05 And you can very quickly see that they

21:08 made their deal to support Israel at all times.

21:11 every single United States president,

21:13 the vast majority of members of Congress completely pledged their allegiance.

21:19 they pledge their complete allegiance to the government of Israel

21:24 and their purpose and their protection

21:27 and whatever endeavor they decide to pursue, whether it's right or wrong,

21:33 whether it's it helps America or even if it hurts America,

21:37 they still pledge their full allegiance.

21:39 They make that deal.

21:41 And, Tucker, I don't care what anybody thinks about me,

21:44 but I believe that Trump had to make

21:47 a deal like this in order to become president.

21:52 it's ultimately that's where this war's brought some

21:54 of Trump's formerly most loyal supporters, you know,

21:56 whatever conspiracy theories they're pushing or anyone else

21:59 is pushing the underlying feeling of the US

22:01 got dragged into another war that it didn't need to be a part of.

22:03 That might be something that a lot of Americans are feeling.

22:05 but then also is a shit show continues abroad.

22:07 We have to talk about the absolute chaos is playing

22:09 out right here at home for millions of Louisiana voters,

22:11 because their governor just announce that he is suspending primary elections

22:14 for the state's congressional seats so

22:16 that Republicans can redraw election maps.

22:18 and that is despite the fact that early voting

22:19 is set to start in a matter of days,

22:21 and some ballots have already been sent out.

22:22 ribbit.

22:23 Of course.

22:23 This move, it comes just 24 hours after

22:25 the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's current congressional map,

22:27 in a sweeping decision that effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act

22:30 and gave red states a massive edge in all future elections.

22:32 because like we talked about yesterday,

22:33 the map in question there made it so that black voters had a majority in two

22:36 of the state's six congressional districts in order to reflect

22:38 the fact that they're a third of the state.

22:40 they were trying to comply with the VRA,

22:41 which prevents racial gerrymandering that dilutes the power of minority voters.

22:44 the now conservative Supreme Court, they ruled that the map itself

22:46 actually amounted to an illegal racial gerrymander.

22:48 and so they decided that the solution was to actually weaken the VRA and make it

22:51 a lot easier for states to gerrymander

22:53 in a way that diminishes the votes of minority groups.

22:55 if you're like, that sounds backwards.

22:57 Phil.

22:58 Yeah.

22:58 And so because of this ruling, red states that were forced to create

23:01 minority majority districts to comply with the VRA,

23:03 they're now having more leeway to redraw those lines in ways that could give

23:06 Republicans major electoral advantages in state legislatures

23:08 and as many as 19 seats in Congress.

23:10 and so this ruling, it set off

23:11 this scramble in red states to determine whether they

23:13 can redo their maps before the midterm elections

23:15 or if they'll have to wait until 2028.

23:17 while most states likely can't do too much

23:18 right now because they've already had their primaries,

23:20 there, around half a dozen states.

23:21 I could potentially make changes.

23:22 a lot of eyes, they're on Louisiana in particular because one,

23:25 it was at the center of this case.

23:26 And two, the ruling came just days before its primary was supposed to kick off,

23:29 literally early voting for them starts this Saturday for the May 16th primaries.

23:33 and again, absentee ballots have already been sent to overseas voters weeks ago.

23:36 changing everything now it could and likely

23:38 will be incredibly disruptive and confusing for voters,

23:40 apparently that doesn't matter to the Republicans.

23:42 With Louisiana's governor and attorney general releasing a joint

23:45 statement today saying that because of the Supreme

23:47 Court ruling state was prohibited from carrying out

23:49 congressional elections under the current map and adding,

23:51 we are working together with the legislature and the secretary

23:53 of State's office to develop a path forward.

23:55 but also to make the situation even more chaotic and confusing.

23:58 The leaders didn't say whether the suspension

23:59 only applies to the state six House seats, or if they would still hold other

24:03 primary elections initially scheduled on May 16th.

24:05 would include a high stakes Senate race,

24:07 constitutional amendments, and several local contests.

24:09 but actually, as I was recording this, we

24:11 saw the Louisiana secretary of state releasing

24:12 a statement saying that those other primary

24:14 elections will still be held on May 16th.

24:16 and that early voting for those races

24:17 will still start this Saturday, but then adding,

24:19 our office will post notices at each of the early voting

24:22 sites to alert the public of this change, while the U.S.

24:24 House races will remain on voters ballots,

24:26 any votes cast in those races will not be counted.

24:28 you have a situation where these changes are

24:30 being made so last minute that early voters

24:31 will literally have to fill out partially defunct

24:33 ballots that include races that no longer even exist.

24:36 apparently they're just going to rely on notices posted

24:39 at voting locations to inform everyone about this major confusing change.

24:42 I guess they're just going to put up some printer paper on a doorway that says,

24:45 hey, just skip voting for Congress for now.

24:47 I guess.

24:48 if you want your vote to count for realsies,

24:50 you'll have to come back again on an undetermined date and just.

24:52 Yeah, do it again.

24:53 you know, with just all this chaos,

24:55 you have advocates and Democrats slamming this move,

24:57 saying that it's going to create

24:59 total chaos and undermine the democratic process.

25:00 also had one expert explaining that even though it

25:02 might be legal for Louisiana to move the primary,

25:04 it's simply not true that the Supreme Court blocked

25:06 the state from carrying out congressional elections under the old map.

25:09 that was something that was echoed by State Representative Kyle Green,

25:11 a former assistant state attorney general,

25:13 who argued The court's decision does not halt the election process on its own.

25:16 any attempt to suspend or disrupt an ongoing

25:18 election at this stage would raise serious constitutional concerns.

25:21 it's also currently unclear if any meaningful legal challenges will emerge,

25:23 at least before the new maps are drawn up.

25:25 Right.

25:25 That is the state's Republican legislature has the possibility

25:27 to gerrymander so they could pick up one, maybe even two seats.

25:30 but also when we see this pop up here and there,

25:32 if they go too hard, they could open themselves up to more legal challenges.

25:35 which could then drag out this whole process even longer.

25:37 And who the fuck knows what would

25:38 happen with the primaries in that hypothetical?

25:40 again.

25:40 This is just Louisiana of the states that could still change their maps.

25:43 Republican lawmakers in the Mississippi legislature,

25:45 they're already planning to convene a special session.

25:47 though notably, that would just be for state Supreme Court elections.

25:50 meanwhile, Republicans in Tennessee are also reportedly

25:52 debating a pre midterm redraw with us speaker of the state House telling

25:54 reporters we are reviewing the recent opinion,

25:56 as I have conversations with the white House and other individuals.

25:59 with Trump himself also claiming in a post on Truth Social,

26:01 I had a very good conversation with governor Bill Lee of Tennessee this morning,

26:04 wherein he stated that he would work hard to correct the unconstitutional

26:07 flaw in the congressional maps of the great state of Tennessee.

26:09 and adding that all of the other political

26:11 representatives of Tennessee have promised to do so.

26:13 you have Georgia Governor Brian Kemp saying that he is

26:15 analyzing the ruling and its potential impacts on the midterms.

26:17 they're they're it's unclear what Kemp could actually

26:19 do because early voting is actually already underway here.

26:21 fact, I voted this morning.

26:22 If you couldn't tell by my, obnoxious sticker.

26:25 love it, I made my picks.

26:26 I know a lot of people are wondering.

26:27 Yes, I voted for Lindsey DeFranco for House district 47.

26:30 actually on a on a serious note, despite the seemingly insurmountable hurdle.

26:34 the Georgia House speaker right now refused to rule out the possibility

26:36 that the legislature would take up redistricting when pressed by local outlets.

26:40 in fact, the Georgia Republican Party chairman

26:41 voiced support for a move like that.

26:43 this is just my opinion,

26:43 but I feel like you can tell that just so many of them are terrified.

26:46 they know that Trump and much of the party, they're failing their constituents.

26:50 and many just seem very down to try to undo or ignore the will

26:52 of the people right rather than actually

26:53 try to have better policy that helps people.

26:55 Right.

26:55 But then from that, as we start to wind down today's show,

26:58 I've got two last things.

26:59 Congratulations.

26:59 And our final story of the day.

27:01 So first, congratulations to Kevin as the geeks latest weekly winner,

27:04 who just scored $500 in tickets.

27:05 for the rest of you.

27:06 That's right.

27:06 Seeking is still giving away $500 in tickets.

27:09 And you should definitely answer today if you haven't already.

27:10 Imagine being the next winner and snagging $500,

27:12 or seeing your favorite artist sporting event or play.

27:14 there's like over 70,000 events to choose from.

27:15 you just got to add code DeFranco to your psychic

27:17 app profile for a chance at the weekly $500 prize.

27:19 No purchase necessary.

27:20 then Devin right back into the news.

27:22 Fed Chair Jerome Powell just stared Trump in the face and said,

27:25 I'm not backing down.

27:26 because, as you might remember, last week,

27:28 Trump's prosecutor for the District of Columbia,

27:29 the former Fox host, Jeanine Pirro,

27:31 she dropped her criminal probe into Powell and the Federal Reserve.

27:34 instead of the feds inspector general would review the case.

27:36 But also, she warned that she will not hesitate

27:39 to restart a criminal investigation should the facts weren't doing so.

27:41 and so it was expected by some that Powell

27:43 would finally give Trump what he so badly desired,

27:45 a resignation letter, instead what you had was Powell getting up on stage.

27:48 And he was basically like, how stupid do you think I am?

27:51 I've said that I will not leave the board until

27:54 this investigation is well and truly over with transparency and finality,

27:57 and I stand by that.

27:59 After my term as chair ends on May 15th,

28:01 I will continue to serve as a governor for a period of time to be determined.

28:05 and so this is actually the first time a departing fed

28:07 chair is going to remain on the governing board since 1948.

28:10 So that kind of tells you how unusual all this is.

28:12 the as far as Trump with all this, he

28:13 got on Truth Social and said, Jerome, too late.

28:15 Powell wants to stay at the fed because he can't get a job anywhere else.

28:18 Nobody wants him.

28:19 as far as Powell when he was asked

28:21 to explain why he's staying on, he said, come on.

28:23 my concern is really about the series of legal attacks on the fed

28:28 which threaten our ability to conduct

28:29 monetary policy without considering political factors.

28:32 the things that have happened in the really,

28:33 in the last three months have, I think,

28:35 left me no choice but to stay until until I see them through at least that long.

28:39 and so while Powell is stepping aside to let Trump's nominee Kevin

28:41 Warsh take over his chair by remaining is one of the seven governors,

28:44 he's effectively denying Trump a majority right.

28:45 Because currently Trump's got three appointees on the board,

28:47 but one of them is also leaving when Warsh comes in.

28:50 So it ends up kind of just being the same.

28:51 which means, at least for the time being, Trump's efforts to control the fed,

28:54 it's been, let's say, hampered once again, though,

28:56 that's probably not going to last that long.

28:58 Right.

28:58 Because there's a governor Powell's term ends on January 2028,

29:00 and that's assuming he even stays on for the full term.

29:02 the ones I would say, right.

29:03 This event where he announced his plan to stay,

29:05 it's actually his last press conferences chair,

29:07 and he also took the opportunity to light up Trump without directly naming him.

29:10 right.

29:10 Noting in a very professional and dispassionate

29:12 monotone that there was 3.5% inflation and margin,

29:15 that it was boosted by the significant rise in global oil

29:18 prices that has resulted from the conflict in the Middle East.

29:21 And then also added that just core

29:23 inflation which doesn't include food and energy.

29:25 That was 3.2% in March.

29:26 This relatively high rate largely reflects the effects

29:29 of tariffs on prices in the goods sector.

29:31 so as a result, he said they're going to be keeping interest

29:33 rate steady for another quarter rather than cutting them like Trump ones,

29:36 because economists predict that cutting

29:37 rates would increase inflation even more.

29:38 but also a key thing is that Powell did signal

29:40 that rate cuts could be on the table in the coming months.

29:42 And his decision to even suggest that possibility,

29:45 it ended up drawing a lot of scrutiny.

29:46 but reportedly three fed officials disagreed with it,

29:48 while a fourth actually wanted to cut rates immediately.

29:50 was officially the most disagreement in a fed meeting since 1992.

29:53 and so also there's a fear among some that with Powell as a board governor,

29:56 the division is just going to get even worse

29:57 because we'll have kind of a two popes situation.

29:59 right.

29:59 A situation where Kevin Warsh is technically the fed chair,

30:02 but nobody actually takes him seriously,

30:03 and he won't be able to build a consensus on the board.

30:05 right.

30:05 And in this scenario,

30:06 you'd have Powell kind of acting as a shadow chair from his governor seat.

30:09 though I will say Powell shot down that idea yesterday.

30:12 instead stressing that he wants to have a low profile as governor.

30:14 and is for worse in the meantime,

30:15 that Senate Banking Committee just moved him ahead

30:17 for a chamber wide vote on his confirmation.

30:19 So even if Trump couldn't kick Powell out,

30:21 he at least got through the resistance in Congress.

30:23 But that my friends, you beautiful bastards.

30:24 Is the end of your Thursday Philip DeFranco show.

30:26 Dive into the news about some end of show housekeeping.

30:28 course.

30:28 Remember, if you want to join the cause, join the fight against craziness.

30:31 Go to Lindsey for Gatcombe.

30:32 every little bit helps, whether it's getting the word out or campaign donations.

30:35 These are elections.

30:36 They can literally be decided by one, two, three votes.

30:38 right.

30:38 With your help, Lindsey and a handful of other

30:40 Democrats could flip the Georgia State House blue.

30:42 Also second.

30:42 My favorite thing to do promote myself.

30:44 this weekend's New York show is sold out.

30:46 If you want to snag tickets for our greater

30:48 tour right at crashing out toward E-comm.

30:51 Those are still available.

30:52 at least 12 more cities.

30:53 12 more dates.

30:54 Right.

30:54 Seattle, Portland.

30:55 Boston.

30:55 Philly, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver.

30:57 Atlanta.

30:58 Chicago, Saint Paul, DC in Pittsburgh.

31:00 then finally three.

31:01 Hey, just have yourself a good weekend.

31:03 Thank you for watching.

31:04 I love yo faces, and I'll see you next time.

31:06 I can't smile.

31:08 It's you.

31:09 It's us.

31:10 No.

31:10 It's you, I smile.

31:11 No it's not.

31:12 I smile, but we got spray tans yesterday.

31:17 So great.

31:17 I know someone smiles.

31:22 Well, it's just the vibe, I guess.

31:24 Okay.