Senator Chris Murphy
Appearances
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Yeah, I mean listen this whole thing is bullshit I mean, this is this is Ramaswamy and Musk, you know trying to capture government for their own interests Maybe it's just a TV show But it is definitely not an honest attempt to try to trim the fat off of government it is either just PR or it's part of the kleptocracy in which government is just going to be turned into a instrument to enrich them.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Maybe they cut some car subsidies, but it definitely won't be the ones that go to Elon Musk. But I do think it is true that our party decided over the course of the 2024 election to become the defenders of democracy. And that made it look like we're the defenders of the existing democracy, which nobody likes. So when I came into politics 20 years ago, federal politics
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
You know campaign finance reform ethics reform cleaning up government like that was a top three issued for Democrats We talked about it all the time We were really vocal critics of the way the democracy worked and you know by the time that Trump came around that was kind of like six or seven or eight on our list and so we definitely do have to start elevating our assault on the status quo of
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
In democracy and arguing for why we want to get billionaire dollars out super PAC money out the revolving door closed Whatever it is. We've got to become we've got to sort of recapture our our roots Which is the government and democracy reform party. I Think we do that and we attack their attempts at reform as bogus and we'll be in much better position right before the election
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Yeah, no, I do not think we have the requisite credibility today. And Joe Biden, for all of his strengths, was not necessarily the right messenger to open up a new populist critique of the way that the neoliberal economy works.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
I think he was very sincere in his belief that we should start breaking up corporate power and breaking up monopolies, but he was not practiced in that rhetoric because that's not what he had spent his life working on. But I think there's a bunch of ways that we can solve for this. I mean, we can change the way we recruit candidates.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
I think I do a pretty good job as a United States senator, but maybe we should not have as many lawyers and maybe we should have more folks who come straight out of working class or union backgrounds running for office at the local and federal level. I think that would help us build credibility as a party.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
We can understand how our really good ideas that just sort of toy with the margins of the existing marketplace don't inspire people. I like the fact that we are through Medicare prescription drug prices, but that really falls cold with a lot of folks. We should just cap prescription drug prices. We should just say that nobody should pay more than X for these drugs.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
25 super important drugs, we should just say that your rent can't increase by more than X percentage a year, that credit card fees can't go higher than this number. I think we just need to be engaged in sort of more broadside frontal assaults on the existing marketplace, have bolder economic reform ideas, and maybe think about having a better diversity of candidate backgrounds.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Yeah, I mean, listen, Oxford is known as breeding populist revolts, right? That's where it all starts.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Just walking over to my office for this interview, I was having that exact conversation with Elizabeth Warren as we were talking about the fact that they are two different messages, right? There is a billionaire cabinet being assembled right now, right? Greater wealth in 169 countries. This is the kleptocracy being constructed right in front of our eyes.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
People who are going into these agencies to steal. steal for their friends. But that's a little different argument than the argument against Kash Patel, right? Kash Patel is being put into the FBI in order to destroy our democracy, in order to make people bear a punishment for political dissent. Neither of those things is super popular.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
If I had to pick, I think it's more important to sort of make people understand that this oligarchy that is being constructed is real and that this fake populism that Trump ran on is indeed illusory. So I think it's probably more important to spend time
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Talking about the billionaire takeover of government because that is real that is happening But I I think you've got to be able to walk and chew gum I also think that we should raise as loud as we can what is happening at DOJ and the FBI and this is where I I I'm a little worried about where our party is.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
I think we are still giving them more credit than they deserve I think Democrats don't really believe that Some of our colleagues are going to be in jail six months from now I don't think they understand how the media is as we speak starting to fold Under Trump's pressure and so I would love us to kind of raise the temperature on the threats to democracy I don't think we're over stating the case.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
But I think if we're kind of mild and milquetoast in the way that we talk about why Kash Patel is nominated or why Pam Bondi is nominated, then that argument falls pretty flat.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Yeah, I mean, part of what you're telling Republicans is that this is a jumping off point. If the FBI becomes captured by the White House, if it just becomes an arm, a political arm of the White House, there may be no putting that genie back in the bottle, right? There may be a Democrat who comes along and uses it for their own purposes as well.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
But I think the trouble here is that you have to assume if you beat one of these nominees that somebody better will come along. And what Republicans have been pretty good at over the years is once in a while opposing a nominee, patting themselves on the back, and then somebody even worse gets nominated and they wave them through. I think Trump's made the decision.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
that he wants the DOJ and the FBI to be his political persecution agency. And I don't know that Republicans actually have the strength to oppose multiple rounds of nominees.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
So I'm going to try to convince my Republican colleagues, but I am much more focused on making the case to the American public because I have little confidence that the requisite number of Republicans are going to actually stand up multiple times, which is what they would have to do, even if they beat Patel or Bondi on the first vote.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Right. And listen, this is how democracies fall. There are very few instances where a healthy democracy collapses where there is a before and after moment, right? That the parliament building doesn't burn down in every dissent.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
What's going to happen here is that just enough of the political opposition either goes to jail or gets threatened with imprisonment that a lot of regular ordinary Americans just decide to not show up to the protests, to just stay home, to put their energies somewhere else.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
that the press feels sort of just fragile enough, feels the threat of having their license pulled just serious enough that they shave the edges off the way that they cover the president. And if that's the case, then you won't really notice the moment in which the opposition has become so weak that they can't win another election. That's what happened in Hungary. That's what's happened in Turkey.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
That's what's happened in Serbia. They still have elections. There's still an opposition that sort of has the trappings of being real. But the regime always keeps them weak enough that they can never win. And so Republicans will be able to say, well, no, I still see a Democratic Party. I still see op-eds criticizing Donald Trump. This is a healthy democracy, but it's just unhealthy enough.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
that the Trump family never, ever loses power. And I think that's really hard for Americans to believe because we've gone 240 years with two healthy parties. But the playbook is out there for Trump to follow. It's been used a dozen times in other countries and other democracies that are no longer healthy democracies.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
And that's what I worry about, that Republicans will just be able to look themselves in the mirror and say, you know, the Democratic Party's still there, everything's okay, but that the thing is permanently rigged in their favor.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
I mean, I am surprised. But I mean, listen, we're going on 30 years of... greed having become an American virtue in which there is really no shame involved in ordering your life in a way that just prioritizes getting wealthier and wealthier and wealthier. And so these guys get away with it because people kind of understand that as long as it's a means towards enrichment,
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
you are fulfilling an American value. But it is extraordinary what everybody from Apple to Amazon to Facebook to Comcast to ABC News has done to signal to Trump that we are not going to give you trouble. And it's because these billionaires and these companies have become so massive and so diversified
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
that government policy really matters to them in terms of what their returns are, in terms of how much money their shareholders make, and in terms of how much money the CEOs take home. And broadly, it sort of feels like the country is giving these billionaires a pass because we've just valued enrichment ahead of the common good or ahead of protecting democracy, and that's super sad.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
That's a relatively new sort of value alignment in this country, new to the last 40 years, but it's part of what will sort of sing the song of democracy's downfall.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
So I think the most important thing to do is to convince people that we are in the slide, right? Because if people still think this is a potential dissent, then they aren't going to hold anyone, media companies or their elected officials, to account for participation in that slide. If they bring charges against Liz Cheney or against Adam Kensinger,
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
That in and of itself could spell the end of American democracy because that will be a signal to people that there's just too much risk to get involved in politics. And so if that were to happen, we need people to understand that that is a potential death blow.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
And your elected officials position on that one act, the bringing of charges against a member of the January 6th committee is a red alert moment. And here's where I don't think the party is and the movement is meeting the moment. I agree with you, we are in mid-slide, but we don't talk like it.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
And so the only way that we put pressure on Republicans at the state level, at the federal level, to raise their voices, to put pressure on Republicans to stop the slide, the only way that we get media companies to change their tune is to make people understand that the unraveling is happening as we speak, and that's broadly not the way the Democrats are talking today.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
We're talking as if it's a potential development sometime in the future after January 20th.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Well, I mean, I think it involves a broadside attack on the power of billionaires in our economy today. And have Democrats been a little reluctant to engage in that critique because some of those billionaires are on our side? Certainly.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
Um, is it maybe part of the reason why we have stopped, um, elevating campaign finance reform, meaning getting private money out of politics, um, in our issue, uh, priority because, you know, we now more than ever rely on some of those really, really rich people to fund our campaigns and super PAC shirt. Um,
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
So this is, I think, part of what we have to get our arms wrapped around, that people want to vote for the party that is going to blow up the current rules of engagement between the economic elites and government. And right now, they don't believe that's the Democratic Party.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
So I think we've got to be able to look at ourselves and decide whether we want to still have our own operations funded in part by you know, that very same set of economic elites.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
I didn't. So we passed the Senate years ago. Right. So any of us have the opportunity to block it. I did not. I did not block it because I think on balance, it's probably the right thing for the country. But there is this argument about, you know, kids having to. sit out in the freezing cold super early in the morning, which is also not awesome.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
So I'm for it, but I'm not like enthusiastically for it. I'm not evangelizing on it.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
That sounds so confusing. Here's my compromise. If you pair it together with the elimination of the penny. I'm in. I mean, we got to stop minting these fucking pennies. I could take a look at that.
Pod Save America
As LA Burns, Trump Plays Politics
I know everybody's like, oh, I've been to Connecticut. I've driven through your state, right from Boston to New York. No, stop. Take a stop in New Haven. Go to Sally's or Modern or Pete's. There's plenty of options. And your opinion about our state and your willingness to spend a little bit of time on your way through will be transformed.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Sir! What do you really think about the Democratic Party? I didn't pick that up.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Yeah, there was a discussion, and there was a disagreement. Listen, I don't agree with the decision a handful of my colleagues made, and this all, to me, sits in context, right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
I mean, as you have described, what is happening right now is the billionaire takeover of our government, the highest level of corruption that we have ever seen coming out of the White House, and, by the way, added to it, the destruction of our democracy, because they know that they can't get away with it if we can hold them accountable. And so this moment requires us to break norms.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
This moment requires us to take risks. And I get it. A lot of my colleagues said shutting down the government, being in a government shutdown, that's a risk. That hands power to Donald Trump and Elon Musk. But how on earth are we going to ask the American people to take risks for us, right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
When there's a five-alarm constitutional fire and we need them to be out on the streets, not with hundreds, not with thousands or tens of thousands of people, but with hundreds of thousands of people, if we're not willing to show courage and take risks ourselves.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Yeah, listen, so that CR transferred a bunch of money out of programs that help regular people, right? There was money cut from housing programs and job training programs. That's bad for this country. It gave the president new authorities that he didn't have before the CR was passed. What are the new authorities?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
So, for instance, one of them is that the president under the CR can start new military programs in the country that have not been authorized independently by Congress. And, of course... But before we...
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Well, we don't normally give that kind of open-ended authorization to the president, certainly not at a time when the president is regularly, hourly abusing his statutory and constitutional authority. It seems like a pretty bad time to give him additional.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
So this is the first time since I've been in Congress that we have not had a bipartisan full-year spending bill, right, that was negotiated with Republicans and Democrats. And that's what we wanted. We wanted to have a seat at the table. Listen, this was not going to be a perfect bill.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
But you want it. But you don't want a full year spending bill passed without having some of your priorities in that bill. And that's not what ended up happening here. I get it. The specter of the shutdown was real. You never know who's going to win a fight over a shutdown. But this seems to be a moment where our party should be taking some risks. It didn't seem like they even tried. Yeah.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Yeah, John. I mean, and again, I don't think you can ask the people of this country to do these exceptional things that are going to be necessary to save our democracy if we aren't willing to take risks. not just what happened over the CR, right? I mean, we have the opportunity to just say no to all legislation that's coming before the Senate unless it fixes the constitutional crisis.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
We didn't all have to show up to the State of the Union speech. We could have decided to do something extraordinary, like boycott it en masse.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Yeah, I mean, listen, ultimately, we need to be a party that stands for everybody in this country having access to happiness and success, not just the billionaires. We need to be a party that attacks corporate power, right, so that people are in control of their lives. And listen, we do not hold the levers of power right now. Right.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
So we need to be clear with people that the things that are being broken right now are being broken by Republicans who asked to be in charge of the House and the Senate and the White House. And you are seeing. But the public doesn't view them as breaking it.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
It shouldn't take 10 years to build a bridge, right? It shouldn't take five years to get a subdivision permitted. Government is not working for people right now. And when I first got into politics, the Democratic Party every single day talked about reforming government, talked about reforming democracy, talked about getting big money out of politics, talked about
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
STRICT ETHICS REFORM, AND SOMEWHERE WE LOST OUR WAY. AT SOME POINT, THAT WENT FROM A TOP THREE ISSUE TO LIKE A TOP 20 ISSUE, AND THAT ALLOWED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO BECOME THE PARTY THAT WAS ACTUALLY AGGRESSIVE ABOUT REFORM AND GOVERNMENT. IF WE WANT TO BE CREDIBLE ANTI-CORRUPTION MESSENGERS, AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS THE MOST CORRUPT WHITE HOUSE, THE MOST CORRUPT GOVERNMENT WE'VE EVER SEEN.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
THANK GOD I TALKED ABOUT ME. THIS IS THE MOST CORRUPT SHOW I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Then as Democrats, we have to start talking about how we would fix it. And what happened in this last election, as you know, is that we made democracy the tentpole of the Harris campaign. And it looked like we were defending the existing democracy.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
This version of democracy is working for billionaires, corporations, and the elites. And if we don't talk about how we're going to change that, then we're not going to be credible in this country. But isn't it going to be pretty? Enjoy your coffee.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
So listen, it all started during the Wall Street crisis of 2008. The Democratic Party is supposed to be the party that breaks up the banks, not the party that bails out the banks, right? And it was that day the Democratic Party started to lose credibility.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
history of even when you think about medicare or the aca oftentimes those are just subsidies corporations love the aca they're making a shit ton of money billions of dollars so this party has become addicted recently to sort of writing people checks in order to compensate for the way in which the economy is rigged i'm not saying that the child tax now we're getting somewhere baby come on
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Now you're talking, Murphy! Let's go! So I'm not saying, right, I'm not saying that the child tax credit isn't a good thing or a little bit more money for your Obamacare subsidy isn't a good thing, but that doesn't make people feel good that you're having to give them a little bit of money to compensate for the fact that work doesn't pay in this country. There you go.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
That drug company CEOs are making out like bandits buying their seventh house, right? Hallelujah! Hallelujah! So if you were really serious, if you were really serious about communicating a message that resonates with people, you wouldn't be talking about just negotiating in a different way for 10 drugs.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
You would be talking about putting a cap on the amount of money that any drug company can sell drugs to any American. Is that so hard? That's the point.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
OK, so two things. One, we viewed people like Bernie as an outlier threat to the institutional Democratic Party, when, in fact, what he was talking about and is still talking about is the crossover message, right? Is the message that actually brings... It's the traditional Democratic message. That actually... It's RFK Democrats. And it pulls Trump voters back into the Democratic coalition.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
The second thing is this. The Republican Party has paid for a... permanent infrastructure around ideas and around messaging that makes something like Project 2025 possible.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Whereas Democrats raise lots of money every two years, we blow it all on 30-second ads that disappear into the ether as soon as the election is done, instead of actually building our own permanent infrastructure so that we could be selling our ideas, like economic justice, like loving instead of fearing your neighbor, like breaking up powerful corporations every single day.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
But sell them every day, build the infrastructure in order to be able to sell them every day.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Listen, I think the Republican Party has had some dominant figures, some of them funders like the Kochs, some of them political figures like Donald Trump. The Democratic Party hasn't had that kind of continuity of leadership. But there's also a consultant class inside the Democratic Party that makes a lot of money off of those 30 second ads.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
And they don't make as much money if you're actually developing ideas that last. And so breaking the grip of those consultants on the Democratic Party who have made a lot of money but have not actually produced as many votes as we would like, that's part of our challenge as well. Right. No, listen, I couldn't agree more.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Yeah, but they are handing us the opportunity, right? Donald Trump ran as a fake populist, and he is there for the unmasking, right? He has no clothes. I mean, don't. Right. So they're literally every single day empowering the billionaires. I've still got Chuck Schumer in the gym in my head.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Some of us go to the gym. Some of us don't. Schumer on an elliptical. I'm sorry. So it's there for the taking. I mean, their only legislative agenda item of any consequence is another tax cut. All of the money going to the billionaires and the millionaires. So it's there for the taking to rebrand the Democratic Party as the true populist party. But it takes. But not rebranding.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
actually remaking and doing. Yes. And listen, we are the party that actually has ideas that transfer power from the powerful to the powerless. We have been a little bit too addicted to incrementalism, but they are handing us the opportunity to go out and rip from their coalition, right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
People who actually do care about reordering fairness in our economy and are looking at these guys and realizing, you know what? The economy still sucks. My income isn't going up, and it kind of feels like the only people that are benefiting are Elon Musk and their billionaire friends.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
So, like, take the moment and build a set of ideas that are big and hairy and transfer power in a meaningful, easily-to-understand way for the powerful to the powerless. But that's what I'm saying. You weren't there. I don't. I'm there, man.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
So you can't get, so you can't, I don't think, get a lot lower than 27%. Uh-oh. Right? I wouldn't bet on it, friend. And listen, the opportunity of this moment is given how legitimately upset people are at what has happened over the last week. This is an opportunity for the Democratic Party collectively to show that we are ready to meet this moment, show that we are ready to...
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Well, listen, I think every single Democrat has to be a part of this. I mean, again, I reject this idea that people like Bernie are threats to our electoral success. I think these ideas centering our entire conversation around asking the billionaires to transfer a little bit of their success to everybody else is core to the... sort of existential future of the party.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
And we need to bring this conversation everywhere. I mean, this is our project right now. We can't stay in Washington and win this fight, right? We have got to be all... I don't think they're going to let you stay in Washington.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Right. But, you know, listen, 10,000 people are showing up for Bernie, but a thousand people are showing up on a dime for any Democrat who's got a message that resonates. People are desperate to do something right now. They want to be plugged into action. And so we need to be out there giving people mission sets.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Go to your Republican member of Congress's office if they're not going to come out and do a town hall. Tell them what $880 billion of Medicaid cuts would do to your community. Raise your voice online. Go to your state capitol. If we show up and give people action sets, they are going to respond.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
This is one of these rare moments where it's not like we're asking people to do something and they won't do it. It's the American people asking us to do things that
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart Knocks Dems' Lack of Vision Countering Trump Agenda | Sen. Chris Murphy
Make government work again and make it work for everybody, not just the billionaires. Whoa, make government work again.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Jordan Peterson on Pathological Masculinity, Alarming Political Gender Gap Among Young Voters, and Snow White | Ep. 1035
Dean, what is the enemy of progress? Chaos. Yes. Nasty word. Chaos. Merciless foe at chaos. Chaos. Energy unfocused, innovation hindered, hope strangled, greatness disguised. I see greatness in each one of you. I know exactly who you are. What are we doing? Changing the world. What are we doing? Changing the world. That's right.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Trump Suspends Ukraine Aid, Canada-Mexico Tariffs Kick In, Major Address Tonight: AM Update for 3/4
I think every Democrat needs to make up their own mind. I think that State of the Union speech is going to be a farce. I think it's going to be a MAGA pep rally. not a serious talk to the nation.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Budget Battle Escalates, DHS Launches Self-Deport App, Trudeau Officially Replaced: AM Update 3/11
Donald Trump doesn't care about the destruction of Medicare or Medicaid or the Department of Education. because it doesn't impact him. Republicans never want to fix the immigration system. Their motivation is always to make it more chaotic and more confusing. Guys, the whole game is Trump doing favors for his billionaire friends.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
$51. After they took her phone, they sent her back to her family. So they released it to her family and they said, you're not allowed to leave here, Katerinburg. You will hear from us. And we now know within the three weeks from January 2nd till January 27th, They investigated every single thing on her cell phone.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
This is where they came across the Venmo, $51 on Venmo, charged her for treason, funding the enemy state. That's what she was charging for, funding the enemy state, buying weapons. And if you know, I started laughing and crying in the same time because it was like, if you know my Ksenia, she is the sweetest, kindest person you'll meet. She goes out of her way to do good for people.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
She hates seeing people hurt. So you can imagine elderly people, young kids without food and water, she would be the first to donate money.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
She's in a labor camp, right? So she wakes up at 6 a.m. in the morning. She works till 9 p.m. at night. She gets two 15-minute breaks in between for lunch or coffee break or to brush her teeth or whatever. Um... It's snowing in Siberia, close to where she's held, close to Siberia. It's snowing. It's freezing cold out there working. There was a moment of her not going to the shower for two weeks.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
But again, Ksenia, knowing her, she would write to me. She'd go, babe, your mom, her mother would send her some wipes and stuff. And she was like, I would use the toilet water to clean myself. She's got problems with her legs. And this worries me. This really worries me. She's now all of a sudden got, she's got leg pain. She's got some big veins popping out on her legs from all the standing.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
She's explaining to me in the letters how she's peeling thousands and thousands of potatoes every day. But you only get a few seconds. There's people yelling and sweating at you all day. And you've got to rush. And then you've got to put the potatoes in the boiling water. So she's got blisters on her hand from the boiling water burning her hands. And she's getting basically no attention.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
Like, it's harsh. It is.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
No, she cannot.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
I'm on your show, Megan, because I know President Trump has a lot of respect for you. I've watched his interviews here, watched your shows. He takes note to what you say. And I'm on you, and I'm begging. I'm not a begging man, but I'm begging for this girl's life. It is not looking good for her. And if there's somebody that can bring Ksenia back, it's President Trump. I know it.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
She's already given up. She's already 90% given up. But we will not give up on that. I will not give up on that. You know, I feel like I'm reliving my dad's experience.
The Megyn Kelly Show
American Freed by Trump, John Oliver's Outrageous Segment, and Saving Your Marriage, with Stu Burguiere, and Jason and Erica Redman | Ep. 1046
Thinking about why you decided to put a 90-day pause.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Mm-hmm.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Megan, thank you for having me. And yes, the way you just explained it exactly, it's bogus. It just blows my mind, these treason charges. I'll tell you what, we went to Istanbul. She wanted me to go with her to Russia to meet her parents. I didn't like the idea. I didn't like the idea of her going in the first place, but she convinced me. I'm a Russian citizen. I speak the language.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
I'm going to Yekaterinburg. It's not the main city. She convinced me that it's safe. And I bought that plane ticket. And I decided to go to Istanbul with her for New Year's. And from there, she'll go home. I'll come back to LA. And the flight from Istanbul to Yekaterinburg was four hours. My flight back home to LA was about 10. So I knew that by the time I get back in LA, she's already settled in.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
I'll have a message from her. while I got back to LA and I haven't heard a single word from Ksenia. I tried for about six hours that day, like trying to get all of her. Then out of nowhere, I got a message, that simple message, sent me a message and it said, crazy, I've not yet seen my family, speak to you later. And I replied and I said, oh, is everything okay?
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
And I haven't heard from her again for about six hours. Then I received a phone call from a random Russian rumba. It was Ksenia in tears. I said, what's wrong? She explained to me that she was arrested, interrogated for 16 hours at the airport. Um... I said, for what? And they said, well, I don't know.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
They took my phone, I was flagged, asked a bunch of questions to the extent where they didn't want to give her water, they didn't want to give her food for 16 hours because they believed she's part of something bigger. And she said, I don't know what you want me to say, but... I'm just here to visit my family. After 16 hours, they released her to her family, but held onto her cell phone.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
And that was the start of everything. That was the January 2nd. That was the start of everything.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Yeah, yeah, you're right. So $51. After they took her phone, they sent her back to her family. So they released it to her family and they said, you're not allowed to leave here, Katerinburg. You will hear from us. And we now know within the three weeks from January 2nd till January 27th, They investigated every single thing on a cell phone.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
This is where they came across the Venmo, $51 on Venmo, charged her for treason, funding the enemy state. That's what she was charging for, funding the enemy state, buying weapons. Yeah. And if you know, I started laughing and crying in the same time because it was like, if you know my Ksenia, she is the sweetest, kindest person you'll meet. She goes out of her way to do good for people.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
She hates seeing people hurt. So you can imagine elderly people, young kids without food and water, she would be the first to donate money. And, um, I'm listening to these charges they charged with and how the Russian media proclaims or The portrait they sculpt for the Russian audience is bogus. Like, for example, she was charged for hooliganism for attacking two male officers.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
I was like, I am a fighter. Yes, I am a fighter. Ksenia is the opposite. Ksenia has got a soft heart, sweet heart, cries easily. She doesn't have a bad bone in her body. So when I heard that, it broke my heart.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Yeah, well, you're taking me back now. The last, like, I'll tell you the process to get that lawyer was, it was very, very difficult because first of all, I'm dealing with the mother and father, which are in Russia, and they want to be hands-on with a lawyer. They want to be able to see the lawyer in person. And they barely speak English. So I need a Russian lawyer.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
So the process started to get a lawyer. And I will tell you, every lawyer turned us down because they said it's too risky. They said you're fighting Russia, like we can lose our license. And eventually, we got all of the lawyers we have right now, or had, and met the parents. The parents loved him. I didn't like him at all. I just didn't like him. I said, we can do better.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
And the parents were persistent on, no, we like this lawyer. We'll go with him. Anyway, go with the lawyer. Long story short, the lawyer ended up telling Kassadin to plead guilty. Now, I was very upset about that. I was like, why would you do that? And he said, look, she's going to get 20 years in prison. I can get that down to five years if she pleads guilty.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
I was like, I don't like this, but the parents liked the idea. So the lawyer got her to plead guilty. And guess what? She got the minimum of 12. It didn't work. But it painted this picture of Ksenia now acknowledging what she did. And it made me very, very upset. This lawyer, as the time progressed in this whole battle, we realized this lawyer is like a puppet to the KGB. Just a puppet.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
He's doing everything they want. He made Ksenia sign letters Ksenia was never supposed to sign. She signed it because the lawyer said, no, everything is going to be good.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
No, no, no, no.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
That's what has been released, is the $51, legalism, funding the enemy state. She's part of a... First, they painted this whole piece of her being a spy.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Yeah, and I was like, this is ridiculous. But it came down to the $51, which is shocking, right? It's still, to this day, it blows my mind that she's losing her life for $51.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
I got to be very smart here because I want to tell you, but I got Cassandra in trouble already once because of being in the media and sharing some stuff she writes in the letters. Because you would think she's written to me before where they blank out some stuff in the letters, which means clearly she's trying to tell me something. They came across it. They blanked it out.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
But if there's things they don't blank out, you would think, I'm okay to shit. So I want to be careful, but the conditions are bad. I can tell you right now, it's harsh. Like, she's in a labor camp, right? So she wakes up at 6 a.m. in the morning. She works till 9 p.m. at night. She gets two 15-minute breaks in between for lunch or coffee break or to brush her teeth or whatever.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
It's snowing in Siberia, close to where she's held, close to Siberia. It's snowing, it's freezing cold out there working. Now, I want to share something with you, which is, it's heartbreaking, but at the same time, I'm so proud of Ksenia, because she's very strong-minded, yet she's very, she's delicate. And she's not cut out for this. She's not. I don't even think I am. I'm a fighter.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
I will deal with it. But to think that Ksenia is in there. She was speaking to me and when all of this happened, she was locked up. She's an esthetician now. So she's all about beauty and taking care of herself. Skincare. Skincare, her beauty. So she explained to me. She's finding humor in all of this because as I read the letters, she will write, ha, ha, ha, can you believe this?
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
So she's explaining to me how she ended up chewing on her clothing to get the material loose. And then she would take the material and floss her teeth with it. just to make sure she's taking care of her teeth. And reading that for the first time broke my heart. But it also made me very proud to know that she's strong-minded. She's finding a way.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Good question. Once a week. Okay. But it depends on how they feel. There was a moment of her not going to the shower for two weeks. But again, Ksenia, knowing her, she would write to me. She'd go, babe, your mom, her mother would send her some wipes and stuff. And she was like, I would use the toilet water to clean myself. Oh, boy. And I know this woman. I know her.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
And for her to now live in that circumstance, it's heartbreaking. She's got problems with her legs. And this worries me. This really worries me. She's now all of a sudden got leg pain. She's got some big veins popping out on her legs from all the standing. She had what they think she had a minor seizure. because of the labor, the hard-working labor.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
She had a seizure, which they think, we don't know. She collapsed, shaken. There was a whole thing, the medical, medics were rushed in. She's explaining to me in the letters how she's peeling thousands and thousands of potatoes every day. But you only get a few seconds. There's people yelling and swearing at you all day. And you've got to rush.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
And then you've got to put the potatoes in the boiling water. So she's got blisters on her hand from the boiling water burning her hands. And she's getting basically no attention. Like, it's harsh. It is...
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
No, she cannot, Megan. And she's written that to me in the letter. And she said, Chris, my love, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do 12 years. I'm telling you right now. Which is obviously put one on one together and you can imagine what she's trying to tell me.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
You know, the Biden administration.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
They were not going to give it to me. They were not going to give it to me. I can tell you right now, the Biden administration was not going to give me that wrongful detention. Working with the Biden administration, I want to bring this across. First of all, I want to say I'm grateful that I got that wrongful detention under the Biden administration.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
But there's only a handful of people in that Biden administration that I have a lot of respect for. And one of them is Roger Carstens. He was an amazing man, trying everything to help me get Ksenia out, but he was limited as far as what he could do. I was fighting to get this wrong for the tension. I mean, you have to meet this. I've been in this game now.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
I call it a game because I realized it's a political game for the US and Russia. It's just a game. It's someone's life. It's Ksenia's life, but it's really just a political game. And you have to meet 16. I think you have to meet 16 criterias on a list in order to be declared wrongfully detained. Now, I've done that in August.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
By August, as soon as, by March, by April, I said, guys, what are we still waiting for? Like, Ksenia's clearly wrongfully detained. And I pointed out everything and they're like, yeah, I'm playing the games. And I said, look, there's no rush for any of this. Let's do this right. There will be no prison swap. Take your time, take your time, which upset me. And then,
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
there was the first prison swap and Cassandra wasn't included because she's not being declared wrongfully detained. I was very upset. Anyway, so I meet these criterias and I'm speaking with the State Department under the Biden administration. And I said, okay, we've met these criterias. Can we get Cassandra declared wrongfully detained?
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Because there might be a next prison swap and I want to make sure Cassandra's on that list. No, Chris, don't rush, don't rush. There will be no swap, I can promise. They guaranteed me. They said, we guarantee you there will be no prison swap until maybe the elections. And I was like, I took a breather. I was like, okay, I guess I can't do much. Guess what? There was a prison swap on August 1st.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
And I missed my opportunity because the Biden administration told me, no, Rice, we'll take this slowly. We want to make sure we do it right. Even though by April, May, I've had the criterias. And we missed an opportunity. Then I met the opportunity, the criteria. I met him. There's two people I want to thank.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Other than the people I work with right now, a man with the name of Peter Berg, big Hollywood producer, very close friends, like a dad to me.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Yes, Peter Berg is currently... Right? Wait, the list goes on. He's currently playing such a big role in helping me get Ksenia back. It was for Peter Berg made a phone call. Peter Berg made a phone call to the US government and he put some fire under them and he said, look here, this girl is clearly being wrongfully detained. And after that phone call, They declared Cassandra wrongfully detained.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Another name I want to thank is Dana White. Dana White being very good friends with President Trump is on board as well. And Dana's advocating for me and Dana's pushing. Now, I'm on your show, Megan, because I know President Trump has a lot of respect for you. He watches your shows. He takes note to what you say. And I'm on you. And I'm begging. I'm not a begging man.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
But I'm begging for this girl's life. It is not looking good for her. And if there's somebody that can bring Ksenia back, it's President Trump. I know it. And I'm begging him. I know he can bring her back like this. She's not doing well.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Well, it's quite. The last three weeks to a month, there's really nothing following, nothing happening. That's why I want to thank you, Megan, for giving me this platform. That's why I feel like there's nothing happening right now. And I'm on here and I'm begging you and I'm begging President Trump Something needs to happen. Woodscarf. I'm trying to get on a phone call with Woodscarf.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
It's not happening. I don't know why. And I'm on your show and I'm trying to connect with Woodscarf to get out of his mouth. I know Senator Rubio is on it as well. Adam Bauer is on his roll.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Megan, you know what? Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm lucky to have her. If you get to know Ksenia, I'm very lucky to be part of her life. And I'm not stopping. I want to say this. Again, you painted a picture already, but I get a lot of mixed messages, hate messages, mixed messages. She gets what she deserves. No. I just want to remind people that Ksenia... is a normal human being.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Loves her friends, loves her family. She'll put them above everything. She's outgoing. She's active. She's being charged for treason for something she did as an American citizen in the United States in 2022. That millions of Americans have done. She's charged for treason, a law that was passed in 2023 by Russia. A year after Cassandra's donation.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
She's not part of any organization other than being a good, loving, kind-hearted human being that loves exercising, laughing. And I'm begging the American people. Do not forget Ksenia and help me. How can you help me? Go to the website, FreeKsenia.com and share the content we share and help me keep her name out there and help me keep this story alive because she's already given up.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
She's already 90% given up. But we will not give up on that. I will not give up on that. You know, I feel like I'm reliving my dad's experience.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Tariffs and Markets Perspective, Exclusive Info From Nashville Shooter's Journals, and American Held in Russia, with Victor Davis Hanson and Chris van Heerden | Ep. 1043
Megan, thank you so much.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Dems Try To Storm Building, CNN Panel Melts Down, and Rise of "Tech Right," with Victor Davis Hanson and Mike Solana | Ep. 1003
There's no evidence that trans athletes have an advantage over anyone else in sports. Trans athletes play sports for the same reasons as anybody else, for our love of the game, to be a part of a team, to challenge ourselves, and most of all, for the youth level, to have fun.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Dems Try To Storm Building, CNN Panel Melts Down, and Rise of "Tech Right," with Victor Davis Hanson and Mike Solana | Ep. 1003
And every young person deserves that opportunity to be their authentic self and to play the sports that they love without compromising any part of who they are.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Dems Try To Storm Building, CNN Panel Melts Down, and Rise of "Tech Right," with Victor Davis Hanson and Mike Solana | Ep. 1003
Right. Especially the last one month.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Ballerina Home from Russian Prison, RFK Autism Announcement, Shower Exec Order: AM Update 4/11
If you know my Ksenia, she is the sweetest, kindest person you'll meet.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Ballerina Home from Russian Prison, RFK Autism Announcement, Shower Exec Order: AM Update 4/11
We now know within the three weeks from January 2nd to January 27th, they investigated every single thing on her cell phone. This is where they came across the Venmo, $51 on Venmo, charged her for treason, funding the enemy state. That's what she was charging for, funding the enemy state, buying weapons.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Ballerina Home from Russian Prison, RFK Autism Announcement, Shower Exec Order: AM Update 4/11
And if you know, I started laughing and crying in the same time because it was like, if you know my Ksenia, she is the sweetest, kindest person you'll meet. She goes out of her way to do good for people. She hates seeing people hurt. So you can imagine elderly people, young kids without food and water, she would be the first to donate money.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Ballerina Home from Russian Prison, RFK Autism Announcement, Shower Exec Order: AM Update 4/11
The lawyer ended up telling Kassadin to plead guilty. Now, I was very upset about that. I was like, why would you do that? And he said, look, she's going to get 20 years in prison. I can get that down to five years if she pleads guilty. I was like, I don't like this, but the parents liked the idea. So the lawyer got her to plead guilty. And guess what? She got the minimum of 12. It didn't work.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Ballerina Home from Russian Prison, RFK Autism Announcement, Shower Exec Order: AM Update 4/11
But it painted this picture of Ksenia now acknowledging what she did. And it made me very, very upset.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Ballerina Home from Russian Prison, RFK Autism Announcement, Shower Exec Order: AM Update 4/11
She's in a labor camp, right? So she wakes up at 6 a.m. in the morning. She works till 9 p.m. at night. She gets two 15-minute breaks in between snowing in Siberia. Close to where she's held, close to Siberia. Her mother would send her some wipes and stuff. And she was like, I would use the toilet water to clean myself. She's got problems with her legs, and this worries me. This really worries me.
The Megyn Kelly Show
Ballerina Home from Russian Prison, RFK Autism Announcement, Shower Exec Order: AM Update 4/11
She's now all of a sudden got, she's got leg pain. She's got some big veins popping out on her legs from all the standing.