No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen - Major Trump FIRING on the horizon

Episode Date: April 26, 2026

Another Trump firing is on the horizon. Brian interviews Virginia State Senate president Louise Lucas about the big win on the map redraw amendment that passed this week.Shop merch: https://briantylercohen.com/shopYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/briantylercohenTwitter: https://twitter.com/briantylercohenFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/briantylercohenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/briantylercohenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/briantylercohenNewsletter: https://www.briantylercohen.com/sign-upWritten by Brian Tyler CohenProduced by Sam GraberRecorded in Los Angeles, CASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Another Trump firing is on the horizon, and I interview Virginia State Senate President Louise Lucas about the big win on the map redraw amendment that passed this week. I'm Brian Tyler Cohen, and you're listening to No Lie. Some bad news on the horizon for one particularly embattled Trump administration official who may very well be joining the ranks of Christyombe, Dan Bongino, and Pam Bondi. According to Politico, quote, a top White House official tells Dana Bash that Patel, cash Patel, is likely the next cabinet-level official to go. quote, it's only a matter of time, the official who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, said of the FBI director.

There are several reasons, the official said, but top among them is the number of negative stories centered on the FBI director is, quote, not a good look for a cabinet secretary, and Trump is fed up with the level of distraction. Now, first of all, could there be anything more Trumpian? Like, Cashmattel is a guy who spent years being one of Trump's most loyal attack dogs. He wrote the Nunes memo, went on every pod. and Fox News hit he could find to torch the FBI from the outside, called Christopher Ray corrupt, he called the Bureau weaponized, did everything Trump asked of him. And now, after all that, the reward for his blind loyalty is a White House official leaking

to Politico that he's about to get tossed under the bus. But here's the thing. Cash Patel's scandals are entirely of his own making. So let's start, for example, with the Jets, because this one is legitimately too perfect. Before Cash Patel became FBI director, he went on the Glenn Beck podcast and blasted then director of the FBI, Christopher Ray, for his, and I'm going to quote Patel directly here, private jet travel that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country. Here's that quote. And I'm not saying take all their funding. I'm not to defund everything guy. I'm just saying Chris Ray doesn't need a government-funded G5 jet to go to vacation. Maybe we ground that plane. 15,000 every time it takes off. This is odd. Just a thought. That was Cash Patel in 2024. Here is Cash Patel in 2025 and 26. Flying a $60 million

government golf stream to Pennsylvania to watch his girlfriend sing the national anthem at a wrestling event, flying to Nashville, four round trips in a single month, flying with friends to Scotland for a golf trip, flying to the Olympics in Italy, where he was caught on camera chugging beer in the U.S. men's hockey team locker room while there was an active cartel crisis breaking out in Mexico. And this one is my personal favorite. When reporters started tracking his flights using publicly available data, he became so irate that he fired a 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw the Bureau's aviation operations.

And when pressed to defend all of this, here's what Cash Patel said. And if I was actually abusing it, I would go see every one of her shows. I think I get to like 15%. Just to clarify, how often has he traveled to see you since January 20th? Oh gosh. I think like Nashville. I've been in Nashville. Yeah, I've been to her house a couple times with her family

for the holidays and, you know, birthdays. I've seen her perform this year, I think, three times. Well, good news, everyone. Cash Patel is only abusing it like 15%, but he could totally abuse it more, and so we should really be thanking him. That is a real defense that the FBI director offered to the American people.

Basically, the political equivalent of saying, I only robbed the bank for a few thousand bucks. I could have stolen millions. And lest you think that the jet stuff is the whole story. The Atlantic published a deeply reported piece based on interviews with two dozen sources, alleging excessive drinking and unexplained absences on the job. The New York Times followed up by talking to 25 people

who described Patel as running a, quote, rudderless ship, someone who was, quote, in over his head and more concerned with his own image than actually leading the bureau. Former FBI officials described a pattern of decisions made first, with everybody else left to scramble and figure out how to implement them afterward. A congressional report had agents describing him as regularly MIA. He reportedly told FBI field offices in one of the first meetings,

quote, if you have golf, hockey, fishing, or hunting, you're going to see a lot of me. Fun! Cool thing to say when you're supposed to be running the nation's premier law enforcement agency. So look, it is beyond clear that Cash Patel is a hot. mess and in way over his head and aggressively unqualified for this role. But this impending firing actually goes beyond cash. This is the deal that Trump offers everybody who enters his orbit. He will use you for exactly as long as you're useful to him. And the moment you become a liability, the moment the headlines get bad,

the moment you become a distraction, you're done. Doesn't matter how loyal you were. Doesn't matter how many times you went on TV for him, how many enemies you made on his behalf, how thoroughly you hollowed out an institution, at his request, the second you cost him more than you're worth, you're gone. And we've seen this movie before. Michael Cohen, Jeff Sessions, Rex Tillerson, Mike Pence, Mark Millie, Bill Barr, Marjorie Tiller Green, the list goes on and on.

These are people who, in many cases, gave Trump everything. And every single one of them ended up discarded the moment they were no longer convenient. So to anybody in Trump world currently watching their back, yeah, you should be. Because the lesson of the Trump administration is not that loyalty is rewarded, It's that loyalty is consumed. Cash Patel spent years burning down the credibility of the FBI for this man. And if the reporting is right, his reward is a political leak saying he's the next one out the door. And look, I won't pretend that it's not exactly what cash deserves.

It is. But I do want you to remember it the next time someone tells you that standing by Trump is a smart long-term play. Ask Cash Patel exactly how that one worked out. Next up is my interview with Louise Lucas. No lie is brought to you by Zbiotics pre-alcohol. So let's face it. After a night with drinks, I don't bounce back the next day like I used to. I have to make a choice. I can either have a great night or a great next day. That is, until I found pre-alcohol. So what is pre-alcohol? Zbiotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink is the world's

genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. So here's how it works. When you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic brib product in the gut. It's a buildup of that byproduct, not dehydration that is to blame for rough days after drinking. Pre-alcohol produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down. Just remember to make pre-alcohol your first drink of the night, drink responsibly, and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Every time I have pre-alcohol before drinks, I notice a mark a difference the next day. Even after a night out, I can confidently plan on being on camera and doing my work without worry, which, let's be honest, without pre-alcohol would not

be possible. I age in dog years doing politics, and what I was capable of bouncing back from a couple years back is not possible today. So I first gave pre-alcohol a try back at Crooked Media's holiday party. I drank it before my first whiskey ginger and you would not believe how on top of my game I felt the very next morning. So from the fairways in Augusta to the first pitch of baseball season and the start of festival circuits, April is a sprint of outdoor celebrations. Do not let a rough next day keep you on the sidelines. Drink pre-alcohol to stay ahead of the game and make the most of every sunny Saturday. Go to zbiotics.com. slash BTC to learn more and get 15% off your first order when you use code BTC at checkout.

Zbiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee. So if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked. Remember to head to zbiotics.com slash BTC and use the code BTC at checkout for 15% off. I'm joined by state center Louise Lucas in Virginia. Senator Lucas, thank you so much for joining me. You were a huge, huge, huge player in the Virginia redistricting. situation that just went down a few days ago. So first off, congratulations. In light of the big win in Virginia, what is your message to other Democrats right now across the country, given the

success that you've had? Well, I'll tell you one thing. When I was in a junior high school and the bullies would approach me because they were bigger, they swing. I'd punch back. You cannot allow the bullies to beat you down. And so what I would say is that people like it when they have their legislators to go out and fight for them. That's why they got elected in the first place. And so when we cower down, we lose. When we fight back, we win. And so what I would say to Democrats is, now is our moment to win because we're in the best posture to take back the Congress. And I will be spending every wicket hour trying to make sure we do that. But we need some more foot. We need some more boots on the ground. And so I'm asking Democrats, join me in the fight. If you don't want to

build a front line, stand behind me. But because I'm forcing, I'm going forward. Well, you know, there are some Democrats who look at the situation regarding redrawing these maps, like, for example, Bill Ferguson, the state Senate president in Maryland, who view this as kind of a race to the bottom. And so, you know, the way that I look at that is, okay, you can, you can choose to practice good governance until you're blue in the face. It'll eventually render you into obscurity. And so what is your message to the Bill Ferguson's of the world who view this, who view engaging in this fight, who view fighting fire with fire as, as, you know, kind of just a scourge on the whole political process. Well, I'll tell you this. We know history is watching us. And who wants to be written as one of

those people who stood on the sideline and said, let things happen when they were right there and could have gotten involved and made a difference. And I say to Phil Ferguson and anybody else out there who is in elective office, shame on you if you don't seize this moment to try to save our democracy because there are too many things that we stand to lose. I mean, we're with this administration, they're trying to turn back their hands of time on all of the progress that we've made. And just shame on them if they don't join this fight. Do you think that Democrats are starting to recognize that the posture here cannot be blind deference to good governance, that it has to be fighting with fire?

Absolutely. Absolutely. And look, let me just say this. I am as much in favor as nonpartisan redistricting as anybody else. But we're at a lot of. at a point where we have got to save our democracy. All we're trying to do is keep Donald Trump from having this power grab that's going to render all of the power in the Congress to him unchecked. Because the members of Congress on the Republican side, they have no heart, they have no soul, they have no interest in trying to do what is in the best interest of our American people. And so it's going to take us having to do this a temporary kind of situation

to make sure that we fight back. We're fired. Exactly. What do you say to those Republicans who were conspicuously silent when Donald Trump told Greg Abbott that he was entitled to five seats in Texas, didn't say a word then, but are now clutching their pearls when it comes to California and Virginia? Shame on them, because they knew they were wrong when it was all going down. And that is what's so disgusting about all of this. I mean, those guys have been there long enough to know. that once Trump started to take power away from them, that there was no end to it. I mean, they are, you know, people all over the country, even when Republicans are saying

they're damn worthless. And so who wants somebody to say that about you? When they, when you, you have a constituent who elected you to fight for them. But you know what? They are the most do nothing Congress we've ever had in the history of this nation. How does the impending issues of, there's two things that are coming down the pike right now. There's the Calais case at the Supreme Court, which will be the gutting of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. That could mean one, two, maybe even three dozen seats eliminated. And there's also the census in 2030, which will see a bunch of blue states relinquish electoral votes to a bunch of historically red states.

How do those two things kind of inform your thought process as it relates to fighting back right now and trying to go on the offensive in advance of those things happening? I think I might have said this to somebody else before. If we don't do something now, there will be a continuing erosion of our ability to stop this train. We are in a position to make sure that it does not happen. And I want history to write me as being one who was down in the trenches, making sure that I did my part. And I think everybody has an inescapable responsibility to make. sure that we keep America strong, that we keep our reputation, and that we remain the place

to come to. Do you want to see nationwide independent redistricting legislation? Yes, I do. And the members of Congress had an opportunity to make that difference. And if they had, we would be in a position that we're in now. Yeah, I completely agree. And in fact, the irony of all of that is that we have seen we have seen instances where Democrats have introduced legislation to ban partisan gerrymandering nationwide. In fact, they did it in 2021 with the Freedom to Vote Act.

Every Democrat voted in favor of it. There wasn't a single Republican who voted for it. And so now to watch these Republicans have fainting spells over the prospect of Democrats actually returning a punch is rich given the fact that when they had the chance to eliminate the scourge of gerrymandering, they all balked at it. That part right there.

And I am so extremely disgusted with the Republican members of Congress because what's good for the goose is not good for the gander. Well, that's not the way it is from where I came. I am a product of the civil rights movement. And even though I may not get physical, I am going to fight black. No lie is brought to you by factor. So somewhere between the first warm weekend and realizing short season is getting close, eating well stops feeling optional for obvious reasons. Factor is how I stopped letting a busy schedule be my excuse. Fully prepared meals designed by dieticians and crafted by chefs.

Ready in two minutes. No planning. No cooking. And best of all, factor's food options have everything I need. Quality, functional ingredients, including lean proteins, colorful veggies, whole food ingredients and healthy fats, no refined sugars, no artificial sweeteners, no refined seed oils, meals that fit your goals and schedule, eating healthy, calorie management, more protein. And also, they taste great.

the Tex-Mex chicken bowl after I worked out last night, and it was genuinely the best decision that I made all day. I also love the variety. There are 100 rotating weekly meals to keep things fresh and delicious through winter. Options include high protein, calorie smart, Mediterranean, diet, GLP1 support, and ready to eat salads. Plus, the new Muscle Pro collection supports strength and recovery perfect for if you're getting back into the workout routine. Factor meals are always fresh, never frozen, ready in about two minutes. No prep, no stress, so you can actually stick to your goals. Because I have no free time,

I have tried so many of these meal services, but Factor is legitimately fantastic. I promise you it's worth trying, coming from somebody who cares a lot about what I put into my body. So head to FactorMeals.com slash BTC 50 off and use code BTC 50 off

to get 50% off and free breakfast for a year. Offer only valid for new Factor customers with code and qualifying auto-renewing subscription purchase, make healthier eating easy with Factor. I have very, the pleasure of following you on Twitter. And for everybody who's watching and listening right now,

if you do not follow Senator Lucas on Twitter, I could not recommend a better follower, a better follow. I told this to you when we were first logging on off camera, but there is no bigger badass than you. And I mean that in the nicest way humanly possible. It is exactly the fight mentality that I wish so many Democrats kind of imbued here. And so have you heard from other folks in the party with regard to how your social media presence, which I think speaks for itself, how your social media presence has maybe inspired other people to be a little bit more authentic, a little bit more aggressive? Well, I thank you for that question because, yes, I have.

But not just from Democrats here in the Commonwealth, but from Democrats all across the country. It is amazing. And what I say to them is that you have got to demonstrate to your constitutional. that you're willing to take on this fight. And what better way to do that than to go on social media? I mean, because you can't just do it by sending out postcards and the old, an old school way of kind of doing it. So, you know, I go to social media and then, of course, you know, I don't have any

filters. So I just say it like it is. And what I've learned is that that's exactly what the public wants. They want to know that you're willing to get in it and slug it out. And that's who I am. That's what I do. Well, I think that's so important because, you know, I think something that's lost in our leadership is actually leading, right? And it feels like politicians or Washington are the last

to get on the train. Like, you have people on social media who have been begging and pleading for Democrats to fight for as long as I can remember because we are historically the party of strongly worded letters. And so, you know, to see you actually take this step and to have been such an outspoken advocate for this stuff, I think is refreshing because it's usually like the it feels like the last people that get on board with everything are always the leaders, the people who should be first. And so I use that as a lead in to ask this question, which is now that you've been successful in Virginia, what's next on the docket?

What is the next fight that, you know, if it needs to turn into a knockout, a brawl, that you're going to be there, you know, willing to do that? Well, I tell you what, I'm willing to go anywhere in the country to help Democrats, prop them up Do whatever we have to do to make sure you understand. There is a freedom in fighting. I'm telling you, I feel so, I mean, I'm just energized to go out and do even more. And I'm hoping that others will follow my lead and say, what have we to lose? We have, we can lose our democracy.

Yeah. And that is too important for me to not be as fully engaged in a fight as I can. On that point, do you, to what degree are you concerned about the speed with which civil rights, voting rights, election integrity is eroding under this administration, an administration that seems to have given up on governing or being held accountable by their own voters, and instead has just thrown their lot 100% in on this idea of, okay, we're not going to try to make our case to the voters. We're just going to engineer victories wherever we can by rigging elections, by rigging elections.

Yeah. Well, that, you know, then you know what you help. That helps frame what I want to say because I am a product of the civil rights movement. I grew up in the city doing massive resistance. I have a fight for everything all of my life. So there's nothing new about what I'm doing now. And I refuse to sit on the sidelines and see our progress. roll back. And so if ever there was a moment when people need to get off the sideline and get

involved in this fight, that time is now. I've not seen anything as egregious as this since the 60s. You know, a lot of people who watch and listen weren't around then. And some folks who were around then, you know, don't have the same perspective as as you do. And so, you know, coming from someone who has seen this before, speaking to people who haven't, how, can you talk about the fight that we're in right now from people who maybe just assume because they've not lived it, that everything will be okay? Well, what I want to say to them is that if they don't think this is going to affect them, their children and their children's children, all they've got to do is keep breathing.

I've lived through it before, and just to see this, it's almost like cyclical. and here we go again. And so because I've seen it before, I refuse to live through it again and have my children and my grandchildren have to inherit something similar to what I grew up with back in the 50s and the 60s. No, I can't do that.

People need to understand this is critical. This is our moment to make a difference and people need to get involved. Please get involved. Last question here. What gives you hope in this moment? Waking up every morning and know that I've got to get into this for my children and my grandchildren

and the fact that more young people are getting involved. That's what gives me hope because if you go on my social media platforms, you would see there's a huge following of young people. And they are beginning to get more and more involved. As a matter of fact, I was asked to speak at the young Democrats state convention. And I was so amazed, so amazed at how they gravitated to me because they too, they too are looking for somebody who will fight. My age didn't make a difference to them and all of this gray hair.

It doesn't matter. They want somebody who's in the ring fighting for them. And I tell you what, I could go with the box of clothes on or take the boxing gloves off and go bare knuckles for it. And anyway, I'm out there fighting with my constituents. And I could not be... I'm fighting for the time world. And I'm fighting for America.

I could not be grateful, more grateful to have you in this fight. I know I speak on behalf of everybody who follows you and saying thank you for your voice in this moment. It's an honor to speak to you. Congratulations on the win in Virginia. Again, I don't believe it would have happened without you. So thank you so much for that work and for taking the time today. Thank you for having me on.

I do appreciate it so much. Thanks again to Louise Lucas. That's it for this episode. Talk to you on Wednesday. You've been listening to No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen. Produced by Sam Graber, music by Wellesie, and interviews edited for YouTube by Nicholas Nicotera. If you want to support the show,

please subscribe on your preferred podcast app and leave a five-star rating and a review. And as always, you can find me at Brian Tyler Cohen on all of my other channels, or you can go to Brian Tyler Cohen. to learn more.