Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - An Insurrection at the Capitol and the Georgia Runoffs: Reacting to a Historic Day in America

Episode Date: January 8, 2021

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay discuss the domestic terrorism that happened in Washington D.C. on Wednesday (0:30), Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff’s Senate victories in Georgia (38:00), the reports that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are getting divorced (55:00), and answer some mailbag questions (1:11:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yo, yo, yo, thought warriors, what is up? How our learning is on in his eye, Van Lathen. Hey, Rachel Lendez. Rachel, let's get to it. Woo! Let's go. Normally, we have pleasantries.

We go back and forth. Last time, we gave you an entire treatment about a show before we got into it. But I think things have to start off a little seriously now. It seems as if there is, doesn't seem as if there is great tumult in the United States right now. Yesterday was among the most remarkable days of my life, as we watched, rioters and domestic terrorists lead an insurrection on the U.S. Capitol building. I'm sure that you guys have been consuming this as much as we have. It is Thursday when we're taping this. This is coming out on Friday.

So it's just about a full 24 hours that we have to digest the ramifications of this. by time you guys are listening to this, most likely, it'll be, it'll have been two days for us to kind of know what this actually means. Before we get to what this means and the fallout, take us back, Rachel. What were you thinking as this was going on? Well, let me set the stage.

I was at work. So I was at extra. Yeah, I was at extra. So I'm watching because I want to watch the Senate, the Congress, the process that, I can't speak. I want to watch the process where they are going to officially make Joe Biden the president. So I am watching as the senator from Arizona gives his speech, objects to the electoral votes from his state. I'm watching these senators stand up and clap on behalf of what it is that he's doing in his speech. and they're so proud of those cells.

And then literally within minutes, people are getting ushered out. And I'm confused. I'm like half watching. I'm not watching. I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Someone actually walks into my office and says, do you see what's happening? Do you see what's happening? I mean, I was floored.

And I was frazzled for the rest of the day because we still had a show to produce. And we're joking like, who's going to watch our show? Who's going to watch our show today when this is happening, which we've never seen anything like this happened in our lifetime. And I thought to myself, my first thought, my initial thought, we know I'm not a Twitter person. And I actually took to Twitter. So you know, you know I'm feeling upset if I go to Twitter.

My first thought was, oh my God, can you imagine if this was the BLM protest? This would look totally different. First thought, immediate thought. I don't know how more into this you want me to get into, but immediate thought was that this would be. be totally different. And then I kept tweeting and I said, they are just showing all of their privilege by rolling up to the Capitol. No fear, no nothing, not being stopped, not being apprehended, just waltzing their way into the Capitol when black folks, no, they can't even get close to the Capitol and just

staying in the streets and are treated in a totally different way. And then I'm thinking, why am I even shocked? Half the country voted for Trump. This is the America that you voted for. This is the America where people are draped in Trump gear, Trump flags, where the backdrop has a noose hanging in the back, where people are wearing shirts that say Camp Auschwitz, where they're breaking into glass windows of the Capitol, climbing the walls, trying to replace the American flag with the Trump flag. I mean, this is half of America. And we all in the while, we had a president who incited this entire behavior along with his attorney and his son. I was flabbergasted, man.

I mean, never did I think you would go to that level. Right. Well, so let's stay right there. Okay. So I am going, there were four people that were killed yesterday. Yes. All right. So one woman was shot by the Secret Service.

It looks like she was shot by the Secret Service. I don't want to say anything with certainty. Details are still trickling out. And then there were three people that apparently died of medical emergencies. Right. while this thing happened. So four people died as a result of the insurrection that we saw at the Capitol yesterday. So with grace and respect to the loss of life now,

be honest, it takes a lot to say that because some of the people that endeavored into this, this was kind of what they wanted. So, but anytime life is lost, you're going to hear Van say, hey, respect to people who lost their lives, right? most times. Most times life is lost. But what happened yesterday

was we witnessed one of the single greatest days in the history of America. It's hard to see. That was one of the best days in American history. And I'll tell you why. The reason why that was one of the best days

in the history of America is because what you said a second ago, You said, I didn't think he could get to that. America had to see that. America had to see that it can get to that. The hardest thing to convince Americans of is that there doesn't have to be in America. It's difficult. People think that America is this eternal land of opportunity and freedom.

Untouchable. It's this untouchable, ordained by God organism that will exist here on earth as long as there is an earth. That's simply not true. That's not true of America, and that's not true of any society. Societies work because of compromise, tolerance, dedication, duty, and honor. That's why they work. And the absence of those things is also why they stop working. So for you to see the Capitol building yesterday,

for you to see Washington, D.C., the seat of power in America being overrun by people who believe in something that is counter in my opinion to the ideals of the country. Absolutely. That's what you get. That's what happens.

When one demagogue says America's less important than what I say. Freedom is whatever I say it is. The rule of law is whatever I say it is. When there's no standard, when there's no honor,

when there's no duty, when there's no decency, then what you get is that type of chaos. And by the way, others of us that live here in America, the thing is, we're familiar with that type of chaos. Yeah. We're familiar with that type of fear. We're familiar with not knowing whether or not these structures are going to work for us.

Yesterday was really the day that white, Americans got to see what is like to be a nigger. Or did they? Well, it depends, right? It depends. When I say being, when I say that, I don't mean that that's, it's a complete one-to-one. I mean, the fear that it all might crumble around you, the fear that these things might not serve you anymore, that there's something at your doorstep, at the doorstep of your

country and it might all get pulled out. That's what being a minority in this country. That's what being black, brown, a woman, LGBTQ, that's what it is. It's the fear that these things do not serve you, that they are not going to be able to protect you

because they've never protected you. When I looked at the Capitol, I saw a building that wasn't protected. I saw a building that the big, bad identity of America couldn't stop from being smashed apart.

There was no invincibility there. It was all gone. It was just a place. Right. And devoid of any of the things that we think that we believe in that make this country what we think that it is. Devoid of those actual sort of emotions. Yeah. And those, that actual sense of duty and that actual sense of decency, all of this shit is just

places and buildings. It only means what we make it mean. So if we give power to a guy that makes it mean what we saw on yesterday, then what we saw on yesterday is what we will get. And now, America, haven't seen how ugly things can possibly be, gets a chance to decide. It's a choose your own adventure book, you're at the last page in the back of the book or in the middle of the book, and now you get to decide if you want more of that or if you want to change course. See, and this is why I think there's a difference. What you're saying, I believe the only people who truly felt that were the people who were inside the Capitol.

What do you mean? And who felt that fear, who felt that, you know, it could all disappear, that this is just a building, that things can be taken from you. If you were at home and you were watching, it's very easy to say, I'm not like them. Oh, but they're not like me. Oh, they're extremists. They're far, far right. That's not what I necessarily believe in.

That's not what I necessarily support. Those are animals, you know, similar to, well, not similar to, but that's what I think people are separating themselves. That's why I said, did it really do that? To me, I feel like when I was watching what happened for hours and hours yesterday, it showed me exactly, not showed me, but for everyone else watching, it's like, now you see exactly what it is when we're, what we're fighting for, what this summer was about, what 2020 was about, about amplifying black voices and bringing awareness

to Black Lives Matter. You saw that this country is divided and you saw how one side of the country, depending on how you look is treated versus how the other side of the country is treated. we know as black folks that we walk this country in a different way. And that was on full display yesterday when you saw the comfortability of those white people being able to waltz up into the capital and have the audacity to start climbing walls, breaking into glass windows, hanging up their own flags, sitting in the office of the Speaker of the House, moving around objects, making a mockery of our democracy. Why? Because they felt emboldened and empowered to do so. not just because the president of the United States was supporting it, because of their white privilege.

And to me, that's what was on full display yesterday. And now you can understand how black people say they are treated differently because you can go back to this summer and you can see how black folks were treated when they were simply protesting for their lives to matter. That's what blows my mind too about yesterday. Our message is just treat us equally. Their message is we don't like that we're losing our past. power, they're going off of these conspiracy theories with absolutely no evidence. Their message makes no sense. There's no rhyme or reason behind it. We're just asking to be treated equally. And when we did that and we peacefully marched in the streets, we were ran over by horses.

We were tear gas. We were hit with rubber bullets. Also, President Trump could walk in front of a church he doesn't attend and hold a Bible that he doesn't even read. That to me is what was on display when I was watching yesterday. To see the president when we were fighting just for our lives to matter, to say we were thugs and we should be arrested and law and order should be issued versus yesterday, him saying, I love you, but you got to go home. Not the same thing. Why aren't they thugs? Why shouldn't they be arrested? Where's the law and order? Why was it not there yesterday when we knew this was happening for weeks? That to me is what I saw. And to me, for anybody watching, should know exactly why we are saying our lives don't matter and why we aren't treated equally

and why we live in a different America in this country than you do. The playoffs are here and you can predict the action all the way to the finals with Fandul predict the spread, total points and even the game winner. Sign up and get a $25 bonus. Offered by Fandul prediction markets LLC, a registered futures commission merchant, 18 plus. Bonus is non-withdrawable and expires seven days after receipt. Trading derivatives involve significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Manage your activity with our consumer protection tool. Restrictions apply. See terms at

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About my speech? No, no, no, no, no, not about your speech. I think you, like, you cook. This is a podcast that we could really call it. Rachel cooks, because you get in your bag and you cook. That was, of course, that was very well said. But no, I was dispassionate about the racial component of it. I've kind of think of that from your Twitter, from your, from your tweeting.

I was, you know what? Because I got to be honest with you. And this has been said, it's not a, this was a bunch of white people shit. It was. And so I was, the racial component of it, I mean, we know. We know that that would happen. So after a while, people saying, if this was Black Lives Matter, if this was this, that became annoying to me.

Like, I heard that so many times on CNN. even on Fox and all of the various news that I was consuming. And it seemed like a very easy thing to be like, hey, we know that it's true. I think this was a more American thing. And I'll tell you why. Number one, this was a, we don't have to mince words here. This was an insurrection that was ordered by the president of the United States of America. Absolutely.

Okay. So the reason why I, when I looked at it at first, I was, solidist. And obviously you say, hey, you know that this wouldn't have been able to happen if that was a bunch of black and brown people running the bill. You know that. And it's very triggering and it's very upsetting. But I have that feeling so frequently that it's harder for me to grab onto it. I have that feeling whenever I see a video of someone talking to the police crazy, right? And I posted those videos. I have that feeling whenever I see maskless ladies go crazy in CVS and start messing all types of shit up and do like, I have that feeling very frequently, right?

The feeling of watching people try to take over the Capitol building was something that I've never had before. I had never seen it before. But I think it was important that the country saw it. And I do think that it mattered for the reason I said because your choices matter. There's a cost. And I think that was the hardest thing for people to get other Americans or Trump support. to understand about President Trump.

They didn't think that it meant anything. They thought, hey, I'm voting. That is true. They thought, they thought, hey, I'm voting for lower taxes. They thought, hey, what's the big deal? I had a conversation. What's the big deal with the whole thing? What's the big deal with letting him spin his wheels about whether or not there was election fraud, right?

What's the big deal? We'll placate him for a couple of weeks. We'll then inaugurate Biden and Harris, and then we'll forget about it. No. bullshit. Bullshit. It's a big deal. Bullshit.

It means something. Bullshit. You know why? Because you continue to underestimate this guy and you've done it the whole time and he's not fucking playing with you. He's ready to go to the mattresses. When he said, when he was running

and he was talking all of this crazy stuff, all he won't do that when he gets in office. He got an office, he did it. Right? When they asked him, they said, hey, will you accept the election results? If you lose. Trump said, I don't know.

Really, if the election is fair, I can't lose. He said, if the election is fair, I can't lose. So if there's fraud, then probably we won't accept it. People are like, no, of course he's going to accept it. He keeps telling you who he is and you refuse to believe him. I agree. You keep thinking he's false. fucking playing with you.

He's not playing with you. And by the way, he's got 13 more days of surprises. He's got 13 more days to cook something up. And who knows what it'll do, but you know what we can't do? We can no longer afford as humankind to assume what Donald Trump won't do. And so for me, when I saw that yesterday, I was like, ha, ha, serves you right. I was like, I was like, how serves your right? Look, they have overrun your cap, hollowed ground.

This is not who we are. This is not every Republican senator, congressman. It's like, this is not who we are. My question to you is, then who are we? Then who are we? Because you covered his ass and you protected him and you made sure that he had enough power, enough influence, and enough latitude to kill thousands of people by not acting right with the coronavirus, right?

Yep. To poke holes in the integrity of the media, of the media, to diss the soldiers. Everyone who's duty and honor bound, Trump hates him. Yep. Anyone. If you have a duty to report facts, he hates you. If you have a duty to serve, he hates you. If you have a duty to be an election official in Georgia or Pennsylvania or Arizona, any place where he doesn't win, any person that puts themselves, excuse me, any person that puts their duty above Donald Trump, he hates that.

That's what America is based on. So because you made America based around this guy, you got what you got. That's important for people to see. And it's not the last time because the fabric of the country is ripping. the part that we're going to deal with someone like this, and you need to know what the stakes are. One of the best days in the history of the country. Honestly, Van, I hope you're right.

I agree with you what it showed, but will people accept that? Because I'm telling you, I saw a lot of people who disassociated themselves from those people and what they did at the Capitol, that they're not like them. And if you can't, if that's the mentality that you have, but you're still supporting Trump and his actions,

then you didn't get what happened. They're not seeing what it is that you're talking about. I pray they are. I pray that they see it. I tweeted this and I agree with you. What was also infuriating to me is that there were Congress people hiding because I was just watching you stand and clap

about the same things that those people who stormed the Capitol were fighting for and you were hiding. I felt like you should go out there and stand with your people. stand with them. You're the one who encouraged and inside of this.

You know what else was funny? Is during the protests that happened this summer, you saw all types of celebrities and big wigs at these protests. I was looking through that crowd for Scott Bell and Kit Rock and John Voigt

and anybody who talks that big shit on social media, I was looking in the crowd for these people when it was really going down. I hope these people understand they're not going to jail for you. They're going to have your silly ass out there getting shot up. Actually, not getting shot up,

but out there looking at a fool. They're not going to do all of this. They're going to rile you up. Was the president's kids out there? They're going to rile you up and bell you out because that's what they did for Kyle. They might. That's what they did.

Now, let's talk about some things. Let's talk about some of the fallout here. So since this has happened, and we are once again doing this podcast, it's now 324 here on the West Coast on Thursday. So there's been some movement already. We have seen some resignations from Trump. First of all, before I even get into that,

we should kind of pinpoint the moment that we're in. President Trump is in, at least for most of the Republican Party. He's in a war of wills with most of the Republican Party now. You've seen even stalwartes like Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, obviously Vice President Mike Pence, break with the president. in very public ways. Vice President Mike Pence

and President Trump right now are at odds. We've never seen anything like this before in American government to where you have, at least in my lifetime of American government,

I'm sure we can go back in the annals of history. I always wonder why it's not anals of history. Maybe because they have two different meanings. But you thought about that? We do not all the time in the English language.

But I feel like it should be anales because you've got to go into the anals of history. And that makes sense. Put your hands down. It makes sense to go into the anals. That would make sense? Keep going.

Be real. Going to think about going into the anals of history. Yes. It's like going to the depths, the vows of history. It should be animals. Keep going. It should be angles. I mean, there's actually a word annals.

You know that, right? I get it. That's what he said. Yeah. Look. Look, look. See, Jackson. Jackson.

Do you know what that word means? Like, what? Annals. The annals, I just used the word. Yes. He wants to know why it's not. pronounced anals. Because there's two ends. Oh, but

it's okay. Well, that's what I'm saying. Do you know the word? It's A-N-N-A-L-S. He just didn't know the spelling. Jackson. Jackson, let me tell you something about people like myself. People like, look that little bit like. Jackson, that was a shit-eating, that was like a little, that was a little, I beat you laugh.

Fuck it. I'm not explaining myself to you, Jackson. I'm moving on. You know what? Angles of history. That's what I'm going to call it. It's the anal thing. I love it. You can't let me get to serve me. Anyway, but yes, so the president and the vice president are completely at odds. It's a real thing.

So that's where we stand in terms of that. President Trump, it was reported that President Trump had tried to pressure Vice President Pence into some sort of demonstration or not accepting the results because the president of the Senate, which is who the vice president is, when they're certifying the electoral college votes. That President Trump wanted Vice President Pence not to do that. And

Pence said he was going to do it. And now Trump tweeted at him, everything with fucking Haywire. Yes, because he was claiming that he legally that he had the power to do that. Which we all know, that is not true. That is what's here. As President Pence does not have that power. It is strictly ceremonial. Right. Okay. So

as far as where we stand right now, Three people of note have resigned. Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, who was, I guess, the special- I don't know was Mick Mulvaney. Well, yeah, he's now the special envoy to North Carolina. Not North Carolina.

Northern Ireland. We don't need more for North Carolina. To Northern Ireland. And do you then have First Lady Melania Trump's Her Chief of Staff has also retired, not retired, has also resigned. And Transportation Secretary,

Child, has also resigned. That is a big one. That is the first member of actually the cabinet. I think a deputy NSA National Security Advisor also resigned as well. So, Child was actually married to Mitch McConnell.

Oh. Yeah. So she has resigned. I don't know that. So, now it goes deeper. there have been calls to expel any member of Congress that is complicit with Corey Bush. Yes, Corey Bush.

Congresswoman Corey Bush has called to expel any member of Congress that has been complicit with the president's actions. So if you've been paired in the president on election security stuff, that she wants you out of Congress and this is just the beginning of it. People are talking about, obviously,

we're going to get to the 25th Amendment. They're talking about whether or not the president should be censured for what happened yesterday. What consequences can you serve the president with for what happened yesterday? Rachel, what do you think? Well, he can be removed.

I believe if he has a majority of the cabinet members and... You're talking about the 25th Amendment here. The 25th Amendment. He can be removed. What is it? Is it the vice president? So what you need for the 25th Amendment

is you need the vice president and the majority of the cabinet. Yeah. Then it would then go to Congress and you would need two thirds of the vote of the Senate and the House to do that. Now, there's a process by which that happens, right? So it doesn't all happen overnight. The president can object to that and then it can be overruled by the vote in the Senate, but it's something that's unlikely to happen with the snap of your finger.

Yeah, we're 13 days at this point. Yeah, we're 13 days out. You know, they're talking about impeachment. We know that's a process as well. I mean, these things, it would just be a waste of time, honestly, in my opinion. I don't know any other option that they have other than the 25th Amendment and impeachment. If you're talking criminal charges, and that's a whole other thing because people are starting to talk about federal charges. There are federal charges for acts of sedition.

There's sedition conspiracy as well, which if you look at the definition of those and you take the words, the President Trump and Rudy Giuliani and even Donald Trump Jr. were saying yesterday that that is sedition. You know, it was imminent. It happened in less than 24 hours in what they were talking about. What they were invoking actually happened and more. But as far as what's available to us in the 13 days, I think it's just the 25th Amendment and impeachment.

Is there more? I don't know. Here's the thing about it. Well, they could send your image. as well. They could censure him as well. There are different things they could do and, you know, President Trump is probably going to face some sort of

legal applications with this when he is no longer the president. It's hard to do it, obviously, when it's sitting president. It's only a couple ways you can do it. Here's a thing. I think the most important part of this is making sure of one thing. It's making sure that Donald Trump is never the president again. So

if he is, I don't know how quickly they can do it, if they impeach and then convict Trump, he cannot run for president. I'm not even going to look that up, but I'm almost certain that that's the case. All right. Jackson,

since you don't want to be all missed or right, look that one up. And I think keeping Trump away from a national office from the executive branch ever again should be the goal at this particular point. Right, right. So whatever eventuality gets you to that point, because he released the state,

and I'm going to read the statement that President Trump released, and I'm going to tell you the most striking thing. When did he release a statement? Actually, it was last night he released a statement. Okay. He released a statement through one of his aides because he's been banned, as we haven't talked about that yet. President Trump has been banned indefinitely on Facebook,

and I think they said for some hours on Twitter. I'm not sure how long he's going to end up being banned on Twitter. But he released a statement. The statement read, even though I totally agree, disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, a lie. A straight up lie, he's learned nothing.

A straight lie. Right. Nevertheless, there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we will continue our fight to ensure that only the legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history,

it's only the beginning of our fight to make America great again. Look at the last two lines of this. While this represents, the end of the greatest first term and presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to make America great again. That tells me two things.

Number one, he plans to continue to fight and I assume that he plans to continue the fight in government, and he said the end of the first term. This tells me that President Trump is at least contemplating, which of course we know, running again. You said it.

Right. So the point of any of what you do to President Trump, now would have to be to destroy his political career as president of the United States of America because you've seen hopefully that he is too dangerous to wield that type of executive power. So that should be the goal. Whatever gets us to that goal, I think, is the appropriate reaction to what happened on Wednesday. You just made me have another thought. if there's a way that the next person who comes up, you know, who runs in 2024,

and let's just say if they did become president, could he be appointed to a position? Oh, I don't know. Well, that I would hate for that to be an option, too. So how do we just happen to where it doesn't even happen at all, right? Well, I don't know. I'm sure. If nothing happens, then sure, he could definitely be, you know, if he doesn't, I don't even know the rules of that. I mean, if nothing happens, sure, they can make him second.

but I don't think they would do. I don't think that, I think that anybody who runs now, who knows? You say that, but then you see those senators who after everything that happened and you're hiding,

ducking out in the Capitol, and then they stand up there and still object the electoral votes. A lot of them didn't, though. But, oh, I took a picture of it, like 11 of them. Holly, Holly did from Missouri. Cruz.

Yeah, but a lot of them that were going to do it, even Kelly Leffler, who was going to be a part of... Who lost her job. Even Kelly Leffler, after what happened on Wednesday, decided to not object to Georgia. I'm going to tell you, it was Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Holly, Senator Kennedy, both of our states,

Senator Hyde Smith, Senator Marshall, Senator Tommy Tubberville. Of course. They objected for Arizona. Those same people, plus Rick Scott, objected for Pennsylvania. And Cindy Loomis. Well, Tuberville was, this was the whole way that he was elected.

We'll see what happens with Tommy Tuberville. I think he's pretty safe down there in Alabama. But, you know, Giuliani was calling him up. And, you know, the phone call was late. Look, if it's up to me, as quick as you can go. 25th Amendment, whatever you have to do. But more importantly, Trump is going to be what Trump is going to be.

And who knows what the long-term damage to the American political psyche will be and to America period will be. But people have to understand the choices that we make, that we make. Like the choices that we make are what this is.

We did this. Not me, not you. Not me or you, but still us. Yeah, the American people. Right. And if this is what you want, then this is what you want. what you're going to get. I'll tell you something else.

You ever see Gladiator before? Have you seen that movie? I have. Wow. I know. I don't remember much, but I've seen it. Okay.

I'll tell you something about Gladiator real quick. A little history here. Gladiator. There's a very key line in gladiator. Okay. A key line. So Marcus Aurelius is talking to Maxis, right? Okay.

What a great name. Maximus or Marcus or Alice. Okay. Maximus. Would you name your kid Maximus if you had a kid? No, because everyone will call him Max and I would hate that. You don't like the name Max? No, it's just that if I named you Maximus, that's what I want people to call you.

Maximus is such a powerful name. He's just going to flatten it with a Max? I don't think I don't think I could name my kid Maximus because it's not, I want to go with something African when I have a kid. That's fine, but it's so strong, it's like a strong name. It's like Maximus. Like I'm Maximus. motherfucker. Don't fuck with me. So

Maximus, Marcus Aurelius, before the amazing walking phoenix comes in and kills the emperor and all that and stuff. Marcus Aurelis is talking to Maximus and Maximus is talking about

the glory of Rome and how he fights for Rome and stuff like that, blah, blah, blah. And Marcus Aurelius says something to Maximus that in and of itself is responsible for the fall of the Roman. Empire. He says, but you've never been to Rome. Okay. That's because, and you guys, I know people are going to go through this with a fine-tooth comb. There were many reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire, but this is one of them. That's because what happened with the Roman Empire was

after a while, there was no more single solitary dedication to Rome. Because the empire got so vast and so big that if you're in Germany somewhere fighting, which is I think where they were fighting at the beginning of of Gladiator, then your loyalty is to the charismatic

of battle-tested guy who commands you. So most of the people didn't have any loyalty to Rome. They had loyalty to the generals around these various empires, these places, that commanded them.

Right? And what Marcus Aurelius wanted Maximus to do because Maximus and himself was so loyal to Rome, he wanted to take that back to Rome and help reestablish sort of people's loyalty in the idea of this city. He wanted him to serve Rome once again. He had won so many battles,

but the big battle was for the heart of Rome, right? I say this to say that America has to mean something. Now, this is coming from a black man. A man who has no fucking reason to believe that America means anything. But I'm telling you guys, America has to mean something. The way we do stuff, how we do stuff, how we treat each other, and the choices that we make. I talk to a lot of people who told me I'm selfish with my vote. I vote for what's going to

what's going to make my life better. So forget about whether or not the guys are racist, a xenophobe, a demagogue or whatever. If he's going to lower my taxes, I'm all for it. Look, I get voting your interests. Everyone has to do that.

But you can't vote your interest with a blindfold. You have to vote your interests while seeing the entire scope of American society. in life because once we lose kind of

what the ideals of the country are once we become too detached from what it is that we're trying to be, you're going to get what you have on Wednesday. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And to me, I think that's the lesson.

The lesson is, yeah, it's about you. It's about me. But it also has to be about us. and if it's not, that's cool too, but we will go the way of the Romans. And every empire in the history of the world has,

maybe it's just our turn, but I'm telling you, it doesn't have to be, it'll be our choice. It'll be our choice to go the wrong way. It'll be our choice to prioritize all of these things over the society that we're trying to build.

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slash business to learn more. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas. All right, we didn't talk about something real quick. Lost in all the hubbub of Wednesday. Awesome and Warnock 1. Isn't that crazy? That's fucking insane.

It's crazy it got lost in it. Lost in it. You go to sleep at night. You know Warnoff 1. And you're like, okay, Aosov is ahead. but when I wake up in the morning, what is it going to be? And then you pretty much know in the morning, most of the precincts have reported,

bam, awesome, we have control of the Senate, right? It's 50-50 with, as you already stated, the vice president's role, president of the Senate, Kamala Harris is the tiebreaker. I mean, it's historic for so many reasons. It is a beautiful thing. You saw the memes going on about talking about a black man and a Jew being elected into the Senate

in the South? In the South, did you see what Reverend Warnock said about his mother picking cotton? And now she's using those hands to vote for her son to be a senator. I hate shit like that. Why? I thought it was his quote.

It was meaningful. It was meaningful. It is. It's very meaningful. I just... What was the other thing? You just hate it. You hated something else that was said.

I hate politics speech. I hate, like... No, that one I liked. I get it. I love Reverend Warnock, but I just don't, you know, it's like... Is that not something a Reverend would say? I guess. But I just hate the way politicians talk.

I loved it. It was gave me a visual. So I felt like I got chills. You visualize his mom picking cotton? That's racist as hell. No, it's not if that's exactly what she did. He said it. He said it and I saw it. So what you did... Don't you put that. Don't you take... Don't you take Reverend Warnock's words.

Paint the picture. Faith the picture of Reverend Warnock's mom picking cotton. I'm not going to paint the picture. Tell us what you see. How hot is it? Is she sweating? I'm saying. I'm saying, take the picture.

You said you picture that man's mom picking cotton. That's racist as hell. I said, I saw what he said. You know what? Imagine, though, think about that. No. Think about that. Imagine you're talking to one of your white friends, right?

And they say to you, and they say to you, and it's crazy. because I imagine his mom picking cotton. Think about how pissed off you'll be. I would say it. Don't you fix your brain to imagine a black person. It's not the same thing. It is. And I don't know.

It's not the same thing. And I think it's powerful that he said it because sometimes people think they are so far removed from how things were and used to be for black people. And his mother is what he was saying, used to do this. And now she is watching her son do this. I think that's powerful.

You're not going to take that away from me. And you're not going to take away from the message that shows what, they did in Georgia. Look what we can do when we come together. This right here, Georgia, such a historic state where there's been so much that has happened where they have tried to suppress our votes. This is why they've tried to suppress our votes for this very reason, because when we come together and we use our voices and we use our votes, then we have power. And they have been trying to take away that power up until, still, it hasn't even stopped.

And you have such powerful people who've been boots on the ground trying to spread awareness. I think it was they doubled what the last vote was for this race. 4.4 million people voted in the election. You guys, look at what happened in Georgia and take for all people who say my vote doesn't count. It's not important. Look at Georgia. Remember this election and remember what happened. It was bigger than just the fact that we have made history in Georgia with the Senate.

It's what that win has done for the Senate as a whole and the power that is going to going to be put back in the hands of the Democrats. And hopefully we can get things done with the president who's Democrat and now with a Senate that's Democrat in addition to a House that's Democrat. What kind of bad was Reverend Wernard's mom putting the cotton in? Burlap. Burlap. I just get that.

I'm not playing with you. It's her walking up and down the rose. Nobody knows the trouble. You know what I think that resonates. With me? My dad used to pick cotton. I've picked cotton before. Why?

Because I've picked cotton. I've cut sugar cane. People got farms. It's not illicit. My dad used to do it. So I guess I just felt that. My dad, my dad has made history in his own right. So when he said it, I was just like,

look, the only reason why I said it, the only reason why I say that. I know you're joking, but I'm joking, but no, I'm joking about, first of all, I couldn't be proud of Reverend Warnock. And John Ossoff couldn't be prou. It couldn't be a prod of that. of that very American story. But sometimes, because I think it was like Alex Padilla, when, who's now going to be California's first Latino senator,

shout out to him, an incredible and incredible accomplishment. I was listening to NPR when Gavin Newsom called him, right? When Gavin Newsom called him and gave him the news that he would be a senator, he got, it was very touching. He got very emotional. And he was thinking about, you know, I just think about, you know, I'm the son of this and this and that, blah, blah, blah. And I was thinking, is that really what you thought? I can't think of anything that I've gotten in my life where I thought about not just me, the humble son of a construction worker and a psychologist for batters.

No, it's like, oh, shit, we lit. The first thing that went through his mind, it was probably like, Hell yeah. We lick. We go into the White House next, baby, calling up his boys from high school. Like, yo, bro, on some real shit, I'm a senator. Yo, that's probably what everyone thinks.

I just find it hard to believe that you think that that that's what it is. It just, I want somebody to speak. I'll bring Judge Lindsay back. Bring Judge. Speak on it. No, I don't know. No, I don't know. I'll bring him to come speak on it.

Congratulations to Padilla. Congratulations. to Ossoff. Congratulations to Warnaw, Warnock. Let's not forget about black women, Latino women who also need representation in these same spaces. That's three guys. That's great. That's amazing. Let's keep going. Let's keep going. Black and Latino women. Latino and black women. They need representation in those spaces too. Now, look, also, like you said, here's my thing about this now that the Democrats

are 50-50 with a time-breaking vote. Part of me wonders if Joe and Kamala wanted this. Because? It's going to make their first term a lot harder. As in, people are going to expecting that they should get everything done because they have control of everything. There's no excuses now. Yeah. Yeah, I get that.

With a 50-50 vote, that does mean that there could be some Democratic senators that don't vote along party lines. it's not slam dunk. It's not some sort of super majority in there where you're going to get everything you want. But a part of me wonders because there's still a battle for the soul of the left

between the more progressive and the more moderate wings of the party. So there are a lot of people that are out there that are going to be expecting, hey, student dead. Like right away, I'm expecting, right away, I'm expecting, right away, I'm expecting the justice

policing act. Like, right away, I'm expecting the end of qualified immunity. I'm expecting that right away. I don't want to hear any. There's no reason not to do it. Like, you put it forth before, and you said the reason why you could do is you couldn't get the votes. Qualified immunity was a poison bill.

Now you can get that done. And so there's going to be a lot of name-taking that's going to go on over the next two to four years, at least two years. With this group, there's going to be a lot of shit that's going to go on with them. So we'll see. It will be interesting because a lot of people are claiming that the parties are split from within. And so I wonder if people will vote straight party along the party lines or if they'll venture over or just refrain from voting because of the fact that there's a little bit of a split on each side. We'll see.

We'll see. But now that means that there's going to have to be a lot of. of work done inside of the party to come up with a platform that appeals to everyone. And that's not an easy thing to do. There's a lot of distance, a lot of distance between the squad and Joe Biden. There's just a lot of distance there. We'll see if they're politically deaf enough to go ahead and navigate those waters. Now, a couple of things we have to touch on really quickly.

Dr. Dre suffered a brain aneurysm. Okay. That was sad, but you know, we don't have much breaking news on that. He suffered a brain aneurysm. I think it was Tuesday night, if I want to say. Something around that. And then now we know from multiple reports that Dre is up, he's talking. He is, he's apparently doing okay.

That just would have been an incredible blow to lose Dr. Drain like that. Dr. Drey, obviously. see. It's miraculous that they caught it. You know, like, that's all, I don't even know how you catch a brain aneurysm. You know what I mean? Because it happens so fast. Right. I know nothing about it. Yeah. Thank goodness.

Thank goodness. And something else that probably will be dominating. Dominating. The Twitter sphere. If not for the unrest, unrest, no, not unrest. The insurrection, traitorous actions of domestic terrorists. Oh, by the way, got some names here.

Jake and Jelly, Nick Ox. Tim Guyonet and Richard Beagle Barnett. Those are four people right there. Domestic terrorists have been identified from what happened in Washington. So make them famous. Can I just say this too? Now, I hate to do this to you, Van,

but TMZ posted a hundred different faces, close up of people who were terrorists yesterday and completing these acts, carrying out these acts. So go on and look at the website and see if there's anybody that you can identify because it's very, I went through to see if I know anybody.

And while you do that on TMZ, while you go on the website and you do that and you see TMZ posting those guys and outing them and stuff like that, I want you to remember while you do that, sorry, it's a fact

that TMZ helped get Trump elected. I want you guys to remember while you do that because I don't know that. I don't know that. Wouldn't be me if I didn't say it. Still have people at TMZ that I love. Still have people at TMZ that I talked to. The reality is that TMZ went all in on President Trump during the election.

And there were a bunch of people inside of the organization then that were against it. Some of those people are still there. But one thing that can't happen doesn't mean, doesn't mean. let's take this back. This needs to be said. So there are a lot of people that are going to do an about face now. A lot of people.

Some of these resignations that you're going to see are going to do an about face. Ms. McConnell did an about face. Pins is going to do an about face. Lindsay Graham is going to do an about face. A lot of people are going to do an about face now because what everyone else thought could happen actually happened, right?

So a lot of people are going to do an about face. People can make up their own minds about whether or not you completely write off anyone who has ever supported President Trump. That's up to everyone to make up that to make that decision for themselves. However, it's your duty to remind them that they did.

That's being responsible, right? It's being responsible. Like, if I had an addiction issue, right? Right? If I would have been golfed, have been an alcoholic, right? And I am now not an alcoholic. I've changed my ways or whatever. It might not be my friends's job to browbeat me

about my past alcoholism, but it would be their job to remind me before I was about to take a drink. Or before I was about to do something else and try to, like, before I was about to be a sponsor in a 12-step program or something like that, just make sure you're okay or being around people who might still be drinking

and stuff like that. It would be responsible to talk to people about how much they can handle and what they might have done if you feel like that narrative is important to their future life. And the narrative of people who supported Donald Trump

is important to the future of America. It's an important narrative. By the way, this is coming from me. I worked there. Could I have quit in protest over that? Yeah. I mean, I didn't think that

I thought that I was doing more being there, but maybe that's not true. Maybe there are people in the Trump administration right now who think that they're doing more from being close to the president from stopping him from doing things, right? Yeah. You know, I talk to a lot of people about it and they're like, don't leave. People need the other side.

But who knows? Who knows whether it would have been better for me to have just left in an uproar? But the reality is that there was a very specific reason why that particular outlet supported the president and was all in on everything that he was doing that was doing is bidding. So when you read all of this stuff now and when things are, and people can change, and people are entitled to change, and people are entitled to change their opinions on things. But what they don't get to do, any of us, any of us, I was there too. What they don't get to do is act like they weren't warned because there were a bunch of people saying, hey, this is happening

to us. These people are being empowered. These people are being talked. There were a bunch of of people who were saying that. And there were a bunch of voices inside the newsroom then that were saying that, that were talking. There was a bunch of shouting matches that were happening. There was a bunch of challenging that went on. There was a bunch of that stuff that happened. But there's only a couple of editorial voices there. So the pen goes as they go.

Now, look, didn't last long. People changed their mind. They changed their hearts or whatever. but the next time a guy like that is coming, what you want to believe is that there's not going to take broken windows and people dead at the Capitol doorsteps for people to understand that our voices matter too and we're telling you how dangerous something is.

We saw this coming. Yeah. So go get all the information. That is great. Do whatever. I'm not, nothing. Go get all the information. But remember, when it comes to the live,

of people in the future of the country. It's very difficult to talk out of both sides of your fucking mouth. It's hard. Yeah. Well said. I was taught me something. I didn't know TMZ was a supporter. Once again, I was there too.

I was there too. So, like, who knows? Did I have any control over that? No. I was told very clearly. You are not an editorial voice at TMZ. I was there too, but nobody gets off the hook. Everybody has to be held to come.

All right. So, yeah, but the biggest story I was talking about, speaking of that, the big story I was talking about was the fact that reportedly Kim and Kanye Wester get a divorce. Let me tell you why this didn't get a lot of attention. Oh, wow. No, I don't even have a big speech on it.

It didn't get a lot of attention because I literally saw it and kept scrolling. Just kept scrolling. Did they file? No, they didn't filed yet. It's just alleged that they're going to get this divorce. We all saw this coming. We knew they weren't living together.

They weren't spending the holidays together. It was like it was only a matter of time before we saw this type of announcement. And for me, it's just like, you know what? So much has happened. Not that I cared before, but I really don't care now. And I think a lot of people feel that way when it comes to them. Let us know when you're filed. Let us know who you're dating next.

And then we'll continue to talk about. Hope the kids are doing okay. divorce is never easy on anyone. I pray that they, you know, like keep the family together and the kids aren't, they're going to be affected either way, but hopefully that they're not, you know, too affected by everything that's going on, especially with it being so public. I wish them well. They don't seem happy together.

It's not working. I just, I can't care. I can't care. It's too much, too much going on. Is it bad for the Kardashian brand that people don't care more? No, because the Kardashians are smart, which is why they have tapped into TikTokers. and the people that we do care about. Well, I don't care about, but like, you know,

like the new generation cares about. That's why you have Courtney managing the biggest TikToker out there right now. Like, it's, I think they can read the room. They do it well, which is why they've been successful in this industry. There are some rumors surrounding this, and I'm actually not going to repeat the rumors.

I'll tell you why. Then why even mention it, man? Because I'll say it. I'm going to say it. No, well, you can say it if you want, but the reason why I'm not going to. Repeat the Go ahead and say it

No go Don't finish yourself Please please This is why I'm not It's because the rumors It's because the rumors Seem to be completely unfounded

Like I don't understand How somebody Literally the rumors came From the girl That licked a toilet seat on TikTok Literally the girl Who licked a toilet tea

On 6xxxed That's what the rumor came from It came from the girl That licked a toilet seat on TikTok Remember the one She licked it For coronavirus And I'm like

Why would we Like why Why do we take something Like that And just like act like it's real. Don't discount these people. It was a random person who was trolling the Baldwin's, who called out Eladia Baldwin and outed her for pretending to be something that she's not, which turned out to be true. So I mean... You like the rumor, don't you? I heard two rumors.

Wait, do I even know the rumor that you know? I heard two rumors. Okay. So I'll tell one and you tell the other. Okay, you tell one rumor. Okay, the rumor is the Kim has moved on. And she is with someone who's near and dear to the show. Rumors says she's with Van Jones. Jones, Jones, Jones. Van Jones. Now, that's the rumor. You know what? You know what? I'm not going to say the other rumor.

Because it's unfounded. And I know. It's messed up. Just, you, y'all see what he just did? Just put me out there. Had me go ahead and say my honor, only to take it back. The other, the other rumor is just, totally unfounded and it's just a bunch of mess. You know what?

I, it seemed as if Kim and Kanye were headed towards this. Yeah. Yeah, it seemed as if Kim and Connie were headed towards this. I just hope everybody's okay. I wonder what happens now. I really do. Like, I wonder if, like, how, if this were true. And they say that Laura Wassers handling a divorce, you know.

So that's what page six said. Page Six is actually who reported this. She's good family friends with them. Yeah, Diso Queen. Laura Wasser, the Diso Queen, they call it. I was at a, well, now I'm not going to say that. You're not going to say it, okay. No, no, no, I'm going to say it.

All right, another little bit of mess that happened. This is actually, this is actually super interesting to me, super interesting. Okay, so Denver Broncos defensive star Vaughn Miller. All right. This guy's one of the best players. He was hurt this year. It's quite a bit lately. But you can't act like Vaughn Miller, not a Gino.

Von Miller's from Dallas, you know? Von Miller or G. So apparently, you know, Vaughn Miller has an ex-fiance. And well, not apparently, he does have an ex-fiance. And her name is Megan Denise. She is super bad, ridiculously bad. And there apparently are some text messages that were released between Vaughn and Megan Denise. Okay.

And these text messages are apparently Vaughn reacting as Rachel Sipsty, Vaughn reacting to a pregnancy. and look, they're not funny, they're not humorous, but they are fucking wild. It has Vaughn Miller saying, I'm so disappointed in myself, I'm so disappointed, she goes, me too.

This is all alleged. And then he says, this is the biggest mistake of my life. Allegedly, allegedly, these are, these are from Vaughn Miller. Megan Denise put these up

on her Instagram story. And she said, okay, then she says, please, I don't want to. block you. He said, and then allegedly, because I have to say allegedly here, because this is just the wildest of the wild. He goes, I'm honestly, allegedly, he said, I'm honestly praying for a miscarriage. Yikes Amundo. And then it goes on from there. And then she,

she gets at him and he says all kinds of can't trust you you're a liar blah blah blah all of this stuff is going on

whatever whatever whatever anyway I don't know you you said you found it interesting you don't wait what like I know you're saying allegedly but she did release

these text messages okay she released these text messages she doesn't even bleep out where the text messages are coming from. Like his email address is out there. Right. What do you think?

Should we even do this? What do you mean? What do you think? I think that I'm tired of, I believe her when she's saying that she's tired of protecting this man. So you believe that the text messages are real? You don't think they're real? I'm not saying that they're not real.

I'm just saying if for us, we have to either, we have to, we have to, operate on the assumption that they're real. So let's operate on the assumption that they're real. Let's do that. Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. They are not together. And he is posted and now taking down pictures of his new vacationing

with his new girlfriend in Cabo. She said, I'm tired. I am sick. And I am tired of protecting men when they don't protect me. So she released the messages. Okay. She's, according to her, oh, do you want to refute what I'm going to say? I'm not refuting.

She's been dealing with this type of abuse for a while. They've had it. It's well documented. They've had this tumultuous relationship. And it's always been up and down. This man allegedly said some outrageous, despicable things to this woman, disrespecting her in all kinds of ways.

I was similarly reminded of the Megastalian Tori Lane story where she said originally protected him. Well, somebody was shot in that story. Okay, but my point is, is that women, black women historically have, it's like within us to want to protect our men. We protect them. And that's why I'm bringing up Megastogyn. And that's what it sounds like, oh, is it Megan? Is it Denise?

Megan Denise. Okay. It sounds like that's what she was trying to do. And she's had enough. Megan says she's had enough. And I don't, anybody, and what she basically said was, here's your. y'all's MVP. Why is this man continuing to be praised? This is hurt from her, continuing to present an image of something that he is not, when in actuality this is who he is behind closed doors.

And I'm sick of seeing him being praised when he's talking to me like this. It's hurting her well-being, her mental state. I mean, it's absolutely disgusting. Right. Um, allegedly. Allegedly. Allegedly. First of all, I only say allegedly because, you know, who knows, we're covering our asses. I'm sure that they're real text messages, I'm sure. But they're text messages. Right. So this is my thing. I feel a couple of ways

about this. Everything he said was disgusting, right? Right. And it's fucked up. Do we want to live in a place where you're in, where you're in an argument with somebody

and then they see you with somebody else and then you release all the ill shit that y'all ever said to each other. I think it's more than that. Talk to me about it. Talk to me about it. I'm serious. If that was the only reason, if that was it,

if she was like, you know what? Oh, okay, you're going to take another girl on vacation? Watch this. To me, it sounds like she's coming from a totally different place and maybe for her that was the last straw that was the icing on the cake. There's been years, according to her, of a history of abuse.

But verbally, I don't know if anything else. We at least know verbally. because we saw the text messages. Allegedly those are the text messages. And for her, I think it was you get tired of somebody who's pretending to be something that they're not. They're presenting this wholesome image

and in actuality, they're not that person. Also, it's an option here. She's messing with this money at this point. Denver Broncos may not pick up that option. Look, look, my thing is this. I don't want to see anybody go through anything that's abusive,

always you don't want to talk to anyone or make anyone ever feel like they're in an abusive relationship. And so it's a weird line because I'm like, this is kind of like, this is both their relationship issues. Right. I don't know. If he's really verbally abusing her,

then who the hell cares that she's out. Okay, well, let me ask you a question. What's verbal? I'm asking what's like, what's the definition of verbal? abuse. You're saying, I want you to, like, I don't have the messages in front of me, but it's basically like he's diminishing her to nothing. He's saying I, like calling her a certain, talking about her in a certain way because she wants to have this baby is what it sounds. Like he's making her feel less than. Like, yeah, saying he said a lot of things. You impregnated me, okay? Like, you weren't a problem when you were trying to make this baby. When you were going half on it, I have no issue with a man who's going to talk to a woman like that. And she decides out, you're going to be bold enough to talk to me this way. going to be bold enough for everybody to hear it. Now that right there is different. Like, so if you get foot with somebody like that

and you talk that type of shit, I have no issue with someone going, hey, look the way they're talking to me. No issue. The only issue I would have is that if this was spurned because he's with somebody else now. To me... It doesn't matter. If he's really talking to her like that,

who cares why she did it? He's talking to her like that, though. So we're supposed to excuse his behavior just because she was like, oh, you, I'm jealous? I'm not excusing his behavior. I'm just saying if you, if a cry for help is a different, is different than Spike to me. And that's on either side of it. Why can't it be both? It could be both.

And maybe it is both. And when I read the text messages, I was like, this nigga is wild. And I have certainly never spoken to anybody like that before. But a cry for help is a cry for help is different than spite. If you're putting it out there just to fuck with somebody because you're mad that they're with somebody else. That's obviously different than if you're saying, hey, this is the way this person treated me for such a long time.

Like, stop looking up to this person. I don't care if he did it. If he really did it, I don't care what was her motivation for it. And shame on that chick who's with him at Cabo, because I know you at least know about this at this point. I would have bounced. If he had taken me to combo, I would have bounced. So you're going to leave Cobo once the text messages come out?

Yeah. I'm not going to stay with you. Yeah, I'm not going to stay with you. So you would never date a guy that had those types of text messages before? No. Okay. Oh, why would I want to date with the guy who demeans women in that way? That's not my ideal man.

Sorry. I get it. No, I'm with it. She actually, she is a co-bo. This is what ladies, this is why you've got to have your own. because I'm not going to be tripping over you taking a trip for me losing a trip to Cabo when I can take myself to Cabo.

Take yourself to Cal. Look, I'm with it. I get it. I understand it. It's just the whole thing to me just starts to get it. It's so hard getting into the minds of these people when you see the shit.

These messages are crazy. And he hasn't really responded. He said fake news. And he said fake news and then posted the picture. pictures of him on vacation. Fake news and then said you can't handle somebody leaving you. And he posted the pictures.

Like he was, that's nasty. You're, you're showing that that could possibly be true by you put, you say that and then post pictures of you. The only thing, the, why do you think he took him down? I don't know. The, the, probably because she probably got more shit on them to be honest. That she's probably. Or the only thing I don't like is anytime like, um, and this goes on both sides of the thing.

Like, anytime something goes wrong in a relationship. I don't like people holding shit and then waiting and then say, boom, I'll release these things like that. But it doesn't matter what I like. She felt like she had to do it. There it is. But man, tell you, watch how you talk to people.

That's the takeaway. Yes, and these people think they're invincible. Like, you know, allegedly, allegedly if it's true, you know you said these things to her, but you don't think that it's going to touch you. Yeah. All right.

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Okay. By the way, there is something that we have to talk about that I did not discuss in the last segment. Is that I completely, for some reason, it jumped out of my mind and she was pregnant while they were having that conversation, which makes it completely different and much more fucked up. So I'm thinking that these are just arguments that they're having. But no, they're talking about in the thing that she's pregnant. she's actually pregnant and to put a pregnant lady through that if it's true is all kinds of ways

fucked up but just and it doesn't mean it's not that she's not pregnant it's any different it's like whatever it's fucked up a lot of mess a lot of mess okay what it's not messy is that it's mailback time

let's go to the mailback okay from Kyle Fochay did I get that right Yeah, Foshae. Fosha? That's the one that Van corrected me on before. That's my man.

When Van and Rachel were kids, who are some people that they idolized? Go ahead. You're laughing. Well, Michael Jackson. I did too. I idolized Michael Jackson. I idolized.

It's a good question. idolized Malcolm X that was a very early one idolized Malcolm X I analyzed Michael Jackson but I really more than anyone more than anybody

probably as a kid it was like Bo Jackson Oh that makes sense It was Bo Jackson for me So I'm laughing because I idolized Martin Luther King Jr. Oh wow

And I'm laughing because we have said on this podcast you're more Malcolm X and I'm more in okay. Yeah, yeah. So I, yeah, my mom used to, I used to go around saying that I have a dream speech

during Black History Month from church to church to church. Jesus Christ. Yeah, yeah, I did. I'll tell you what. Probably because of it. Your childhood seems like a barrel of laughs, man. Wow.

I'll tell you why I came in handy though. I was Miss Black and Gold at Texas, the Alpha Phi Alpha Paget. and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an album. So my talent was to dig deep and save that speech. The worst talent ever. Oh, my God. Let me tell you.

So let me paint a picture for you. Since you talk about pictures. Wait, you about to call my talent for me? I'm going to say that in the talent thing of the talent. That's not even a talent. No. Given the I have a dream speech? What?

Do you know how long that speech is to say that by memory? And let me just paint it for you. Because I was going to play the piano. As somebody else played the piano, I said, uh-uh, got to stand out. Let me reach into this. He's an alpha. Watch this. I dressed in a suit.

I had the black and white video of the speech behind me. I walked to the podium and we started off saying it together. And then he faded away. And then I continued. And then he came back in with the free at last and we set it together. It was synchronized. It was beautiful. I got a standing ovation.

I bet you did. guess who won. You do. By the way, let me tell you something. I'll tell you why you won. I'll tell you how, let me tell you how diabolical racial is. The reality is that there was no way for her not to win.

Because it's like in a talent show when you sing Amazing Grace and nobody's going to boo you. Even when you're up there, Ah, baby, then grace. Everybody's going to be like, preach that word. Take your time.

Take your time. It's okay. baby, preach that word. Happy, five, but, and so how are you going to, they're not going to boo

Dr. King, they're not going to not give it to Dr. but also because I was fantastic. Also because I was great, okay? Memorized, I have a dream speech.

Come on now. Yeah. My man, my man, this is what we called jealousy. It's what jealous. Not jealousy. Not jealousy.

A barrel of laughs. A barrel of laughs. A barrel of laughs. It seemed like a lot of fun up there with Judge Lindsay. It's like an Easter speech. Can you know, you say each of speeches. Rachel.

Black History, Mom? Come in here and Rachel, it's me, Judge Lindsay. I want you to come in here and do the I Have a Dream speech for the 43rd Rotary Club of South Dallas. I know, I'm telling you. To make it even what's going to really make you laugh even more is the reason I said the speech is because I was in the speech meet. So I was in speech competitions constantly and I chose a smaller version. and then as I got older, I learned a bigger version. Wow. Okay. All right.

All right. Jackson, let's go. Okay. From Tracy Bradden, Herbster, what are Rachel's thoughts on Tom Herman getting fired after the COVID season? In Texas, we're quick to pull the trigger when it, let me pick a different one. Jesus.

Oh, my God. I was going to say when it comes to firing coaches since back brown. Jesus Christ. Texas, that's actually true. for multiple reasons. So I felt like I should change it. But no, ever since Matt Brown, it seems like we can't hold a coach longer than three years.

Tom Herman came out of the gate strong. And I too fell victim of saying, we're back. We're back. What were we? Nine and three, maybe 10 and three. I can't even remember what the record was, but we were all saying we're back. And then it was a decline thereafter.

We have the talent, still not getting it done. Our quarterback, we can't have a consistent quarterback. We can get things done on offense. Have a strong run. game, never really executing that in the right way. It was time for a change. Never big Tom Herman fan anyway. I think Sark is going to be really good.

It seems like he's worked some things out since his USC days. I don't think you can work for Nick Sabin and not have your stuff together. So the fact that he's coming from an Alabama Sabin, you know, playbook, offensive coordinator, I have high expectations for him and I'm excited for the change that we have in Texas. Interesting. Okay. Jackson, you want to ask your question? Yeah, this was actually, yeah, my question is what are Vance thoughts on LSU being abjectly terrible this season? That's just my follow-up. I wasn't to get both sides of the football. Well, first of all, we weren't objectively terrible. We were a five-and-five team.

Yikes. I don't know. It was that bad. We were a five-and-five team. A bowl did you go to? We did not go to a bowl. It didn't hit six games. No, well, no, that's seat. That shows how much you know. Because of COVID, it changed.

Anybody can go to my bow. But we went to the Alamo Bowl. Yeah, right. So here's the thing. We punished that ass last year is what we did to Texas. But so here's the thing about it. Number one, we weren't abjectly terrible. We were five and five,

and we were actually about three plays away from being seven and three. Because we lost on the last possession of the game in Missouri, and we lost a very tight game. Excuse me. Damn, three whole plays? Exhibition. That's amazing. So here's the thing.

Also, but I'm not just like a Johnny completely LSU fan. So I realize when you lose the Heisman trophy winner, okay, another first round pick and Clyde was in Lear. Then when you lose Jordan Jefferson, all right, another first round pick, then when you have opt-outs all over the team, when you lose your defensive coordinator. when you lose your offensive coordinator. But like, think about this. This is everything that left off last year's team. LSU lost, their O-C to the NFL, their defensive coordinator to Baylor,

highest a trophy winning quarterback, their starting tailback. They had opt-outs on the defense. And step into the 2020 season. No, but, no, what I'm telling you is that the realistic, I think the coaching staff did a great job, considering everything that happened. Then we had opt-outs,

Terrence Marshall ended up opting out. Jamar Chase opted out. It wasn't easy. And then the quarterback that we have had coming back, Miles Brennan, who had been waiting, who knew the offense, he got hurt, missed most of the season. We rotated two true freshman quarterbacks for the rest of the year.

So to me, it's not a terrible season. It's not a terrible season at all when you look at the adversity. I know you're acting like, I know you act like you're going to sleep. But when you look at the adversity, I think 5 and 5 is a great job by the staff. I think the kids play their hearts out. Now we got a great class coming in. We finish the year, I think, on a two-game winning streak.

And now... Two games. Two games. And so now... We're five to five. We're ready. After having the greatest season in the history of college football. You should give the opening speech for the 2021 season because that is a...

I'm fired. Just make sure you say Justin Jefferson's name, Rand. Don't call him Jordan this time. Oh, George... But you know who his brother is? his brother is Jordan Jefferson. That Jordan Jefferson? The same, like, from LSU?

Yeah, that's his brother. Yeah. So they're brothers. So I'm an old nigger, so I think Jordan Jefferson, Justin Jefferson, who I told everybody was going to be the best receiver in the draft. Anyway, but yeah, so I don't think it was an abjectly terrible season. I think it was a disappointing season, but I don't think it was an abjectly terrible season. I think LSU will be right back.

LSU is going to be fine and fuck the both of them. All right. Oh, okay, last question. Rachel's got to go. Okay. From Greg Vallejo, what are your middle names and how often did your parents use them? My middle name is Terry. My parents never used it.

Yes, it's Terry. Uncle Terry. I just wouldn't, I wouldn't have pegged you for Terry. Mine is Lynn. And my, anytime I'm in trouble or my dad's trying to get my attention, he says Rachel Lynn. Okay. That's enough. Get out of here, Jackson.

You're a jerk. All right. That's it, you guys. Everyone, please stay encouraged. I'm going to employ you guys to do one thing. Take breaks. There's a lot of stuff going on. Who knows what will have changed by the time this podcast comes out tomorrow.

We can have a completely new government. Who knows how things are going to go. But please take breaks. Find joy, find peace, lay down, log off, do whatever you got to do. Take you think caps off, but do not stop learning. I am Van Lathen. I'm Rachel Lindsay, and I'd like to close out with this. I say to you today, my friend, that even though we face the difficulty of today and tomorrow,

I still have a dream-loat in the American dream.