IHIP News - Senate Dems Pull All-Nighter to FIGHT MAGA and Project 2025 Part 1

Episode Date: February 6, 2025

Jen and Pump's are joined by 4 senators currently filibustering the Trump's OMB Nominee. In this episode they are joined by Senator Alsobrooks to discuss what needs to be done. Pre-order our new book, join our Patreon Cult, and more by clicking here: https://linktr.ee/ivehaditpodcast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are only two and a half weeks into the second term of convicted felon Donald Trump, and it is promises made, promises broken. He said he didn't know anything about Project 2025, didn't want anything to do with it. Well, now he has nominated one of its authors to be secretary of the OMB. The Democrats have had it. We are here with Senator Alsobrooks. They pulled an all-nighter at the Senate to form the resistance. Senator, how's it going there at the United States Senate? Well, you know what?

Our resolve is strong. As you mentioned, we held the floor all night. I participated, and we've had it. We really have. I've heard from, I've heard from my constituents. People are really, really enraged by what they have seen. And rightfully so, this is a witch hunt, the likes of which none of us have ever seen before. It is unconscionable. The people that are hurting right now are the American people.

These are the people that government promises to make their lives better. And this administration has attacked through this wicked witch hunt, civil servants who have worked many of them through decades for both Republican and Democratic presidents. And it's horrific. It's absolutely horrific. And Russell Vogt, as you've mentioned, is the author of Project 2025, himself a person who has avowed really revenge and retribution against civil servants.

You know, and none of us can understand, you know, why, why this would be the target of this administration's initial actions. You know, we talk about that a lot and we feel like for MAGA, the cruelty is the point. And the point of a lot of what they're doing seems to be to exert power and cruelty. And there is a feeling outside of the Beltway among the American public that we want you guys to be a kryptonite wall. Do what Mitch McConnell did to Obama, that template where he said we're going to say no to everything on speed. And so I know that you all are there tonight. We have Elon Musk, who appears to be setting up a shadow government. This is terrifying to everybody. He's the world's richest man.

South Africa denied him a Starlink contract. And now we have Secretary of State Marco Rubio that seems to be doing Elon Musk bidding. What can the Senate do about this rogue actor in the United States government that appears to be setting up a shadow government? Well, you know, you're right about the it does feel like the shadow government and that these rich people have basically overtaken our government, our government. And, you know, there are a number of things that can be done right now. One of them is thankful to this podcast and others because we have to communicate it. Let the American people understand what is happening. There are also several lawsuits that have been

filed. I think this is appropriate, and we've seen already some success in the lawsuits that have initially been filed. We are working here to make sure, as you've mentioned, that we are blocking going forward and that we are working to try to defeat and to really fight back against these nominations that are being put forward right now. And we're going to be legislating as well, but it's an all hands on deck sort of effort. Their actions are not hurting just government workers. That's what they hope to do. They're hurting the American people. And this Elon Musk effort to violate the privacy of many in the civil service. I mean, all of it is just is unprecedented. The cruelty of it is is is really just so shameful.

And these are people without shame. It's ruthless. Donald Trump is a ruthless leader. Let's be clear about that. A person who has no empathy for anyone, absolutely anyone. And he is flanking himself with people who are carrying out this vindictive, angry sort of leadership that is hurting the American people. What can you do on the Senate side to attempt to rein in the power that this fake agency Doge has and put checks and balances and some transparency on what Elon Musk is doing? Well, I mean, part of, you know, what I can tell you is, you know, part of what has to happen first, I know you asked about the Senate floor, is some of this is just illegal. So I think the legal action is really effective. But it's also the case that, you know, we're fighting against Russell Vogt's nomination. I'm hoping that some of my colleagues on the other end of the aisle will also see how unconscionable his comments are. Russell Vogt, the person who would be over the Office of Management

and Budget, is a person who said that he intends to exact trauma. He said he hopes that these civil servants feel trauma. So we are working now. We were up, as you mentioned, all night. We had planned to hold the floor to delay some of these actions. And we'll continue doing that. We have to employ every tool in the toolbox has to come out right now, both legislatively, legally, on the communications front. People have to understand this is a moment. It is a moment, a seminal moment. And if we let our country continue down this course, it will forever change the course of

history in our country. I'm convinced it already has in many ways. But we have to continue to do what we can to stop these actions and to say in no uncertain terms that we will not allow Elon Musk to run our government. Considering that we have three branches of government and you guys are one of those branches, moving forward, every single appointee that Donald Trump has recommended to be a secretary of some department. Are you in the Senate going to vote no across the board, considering what we've seen thus far, considering that you guys in good faith gave Marco Rubio a unanimous vote, and then he gets on Twitter or X and posts he wants to make Gaza beautiful again. He's doing Elon Musk's bidding

with South Africa, this personal revenge tour of these billionaires. You see a former United States senator losing any sort of a spine and acting as a coward representing the United States on a global stage. Moving forward, can you and the rest of the Senate commit to v single remaining appointe recommended? Oh, absolutl be voting no on any other forward by this administr for sure. Um, the direcci

there are some of us, as for example, supportive s Rubio wanted to give an opportunity to look at the qualifications of the candidates and to ask ourselves, even if they didn't agree, if we didn't agree policy-wise, whether these were people who would do the job, we're out of that now. There is just now no room to support anything in the way of nominees that this administration puts forward. I, for one, will absolutely be voting no on every person who's put forward from here.

I'd love to hear that. Oh, sorry. One question I have, and it always sticks with me. I feel confident there are Republican senators who do not agree with Donald Trump, yet they do not vote against him because they are afraid of the revenge or primaries. Do you think, given what is going on with Elon Musk with this Russell vote, do you think that there are one or two moderate Republicans that may actually vote against these people? I think there are Republicans who are concerned about the nominees. I mean, we've seen some already vote in the Hegseth vote. We saw Mitch McConnell. We also saw Murkowski and Collins, who both who all three voted against Hegseth. So I think there are some.

And, you know, in going forward, we'll see what happens with Russell vote and some of the others. But it is still my hope that some of my colleagues on the other end of the aisle will vote their conscience and vote against some of these people who the American people don't even support. Nobody wants Elon Musk, who of course has been set up by Russell Vote, to have access to their personal information. Russell Vogt is a dangerous person, and he would harm not only these civil servants, but he is harming, he would be harming by extension the American people. There are reports out that now the Trump administration wants to replace the entire workforce of the CIA. And the MAGA movement has done a decades-long assault on institutions in the United States that they are so diminished by a lot of the right-wing media echo chamber

that this story, it kind of is a headline in this, pardon my language, just potpourri of sandwiches that we're all dealing with these last two and a half weeks. How dangerous is this to replace an entire workforce of the CIA for our national security? Oh, absolutely dangerous. You know, I'm a former prosecutor. And so, you know, I have worked not with the CIA, but work with the FBI, work with many of the law enforcement agencies to keep our community safe. And by the way, this administration has done the polar opposite of absolutely everything that they promised, including making our safety a priority and destabilizing the CIA, replacing experienced agents with these political cronies, replacing seasoned FBI agents with whoever it is he intends to bring in.

I mean, it's horrifying. It's it is unprecedented, but it absolutely will make us less safe. And it is you know, and this is the kind of thing we have to continue to to work against. But it is it is absolutely not in our best interest for it to happen. And it and by the way, none of this brings down the cost of goods. None of it brings down the cost of goods. None of it brings down the cost of housing and does not make us safer. It does the exact opposite. Senator Also Brooks, I want to commend you for your efforts. I saw where you questioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And the overt racism that we're seeing out of the MAGA movement is such a painful thing for

all Americans to see of all skin colors. And I just want to commend you for holding the line, calling him out directly to his face. And thank you for coming on our podcast because our audience and the American public as a whole need to know that you guys are holding the line, that it is a no across the board, a big giant F no to everything that they want to do. And you're welcome to come on here anytime. Good luck with your filibuster. Keep looking for good trouble and we support you very much. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me and everybody hang on. We're going to keep fighting. Thank you so much.