#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Ala. pushes gerrymandering bill, Trump’s white genocide lies, SCOTUS hears Lisa Cook case

Episode Date: January 22, 2026

1.21.2026 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Ala. pushes gerrymandering bill, Trump’s white genocide lies, SCOTUS hears LisaCook case A bill that would allow special primary elections in legislative and congressional races if the U.S. Supreme Court changes how race is applied in redistricting cleared an Alabama Senate committee. The Supreme Court heard arguments on Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. We'll share some of what was said.  A new report reveals a disturbing fact about a police department in the south. We'll share more about the study tonight.  A House panel voted to hold the Clintons in contempt in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. But Congresswoman Summer Lee is calling out the hypocrisy, noting that Attorney General Pam Bondi has also not responded to a subpoena on the matter. The Lincoln Project dropped a video showing folks that they got exacted what they voted for.  And Trump is in Davos, Switzerland...you won't believe some of the things he's said.  #BlackStarNetwork partner: Fanbasehttps://www.startengine.com/offering/fanbase This Reg A+ offering is made available through StartEngine Primary, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.  This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. You should read the Offering Circular (https://bit.ly/3VDPKjD) and Risks (https://bit.ly/3ZQzHl0) related to this offering before investing. Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Here's what's coming up on Roland Martin unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. A bill that would allow special primary elections in legislative and congressional races if the U.S. Supreme Court changes how race is applied in redistricting cleared an Alabama Senate committee. And the Supreme Court heard arguments on Trump's attempt to fire federal reserve governor,

Lisa Cook will share some of what he said. Plus, a new report reveals a disturbing fact about a police department in the south. We'll share more about the study tonight. And a House panel voted to hold the Clintons in contempt in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, but Congresswoman Summer Lee is calling on the hypocrisy, noting that Attorney General Pam Bondi has also not responded to a subpoena in the matter. Plus, the Lincoln Project dropped the video showing folks that they got exactly what they voted for. Also, Trump is in DeBos, Switzerland, and you won't believe some of the things that he said.

We're going to talk about it. It's time to bring the funk on Roland Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. Let's go. A Senate committee has passed a bill to allow special primary elections. This measure would permit changes in legislative and congressional race is contingent on a U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the use of race and redistricting. Senate President Putin-Poor Garland-Gudger introduced Senate Bill 23, which aims to increase flexibility and conducting elections. The bill comes at a time when Alabama and other states are awaiting a Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case that could impose further restrictions on the use

of race in congressional districting. A decision is expected in the spring and could affect the court-drawn state senate and congressional districts that have been previously challenged. I want to introduce the panel that we have tonight, Rebecca Crothers, President, CEO of Fair Election Center in Washington, D.C., Zachary Kirk, educator and content creator from Atlanta, And Wincunee Sint, CEO and co-founder of politicking in Washington, B.C., I want to thank you all for joining us tonight. Wincuni, I want to start with you. Tell us what this bill, what do you think of, what kind of impact could it have? The implications are deep. I think this bill could potentially set a historical precedent for what happened nationally in the United States, right? Although this is particularly focused in Alabama, we have to look at this and what kind of precedent is going to set all throughout the United States.

And we really want to make sure when there's congressional redistricting happening, that it is being fair, that it's not on account of race. Because we've seen that historically, that's been the way that people in the hegemony, quite frankly, have used it to ensure that elections are slated in their favor. So it's really important for us to monitor how the special primary elections bill goes after it clears the Senate committee and what happens when it's taken to the Senate floor. And Rebecca, you work with the Fair Election Center. What are your thoughts about this? Yes. So I think that Alabama Republicans who introduce this bill in the Senate is anticipating that the rest of the Voting Rights Act is going to fall. This is that Louisiana case is about Section 2, Section 8. to is basically the remaining piece of the landmark legislation. Specifically, it deals with redistricting, not just with federal races, but state and local races as well.

And so we will see, you know, if the Supreme Court does what many of the civil rights community is predicting, we're going to see many black congressional seats across the south. we're going to see many black representatives redistricted out, and those seats are going to be diluted in such a way where black representation and brown representation, quite frankly, in this country, especially in the Confederate South and some of those border states, will be no more. But I want to point your audience to what's happening. This is what you will call like a trigger piece of legislation, whereas if then. So if, in the instance that the Supreme Court does what these particular legislatures, are anticipating that they're going to do, then this will automatically become valid law in Alabama. We saw this with the overturned or Ropee Wade where there were many states across the country

that had trigger law saying that if the Supreme Court overturned Rope B. Wade and gave the states the ability to determine what reproductive rights looked in that particular state, then that state would automatically trigger an abortion ban. So this is a similar type of legislative mechanism that we see that Alabama is looking to do. Dr. Kirk. Rebecca hit the nail on the head. And I want to say, again, to my friend, Rebecca, girl, you're looking good with that lip. It's a beautiful red lip.

People, this is a sign of what's going to come kind of all across the country. I'm afraid in our southern states with what we anticipate and must be ready for our Supreme Court to do. Senate Bill 23 in Alabama, again, as Rebecca said, it's a trigger bill. It's setting things up in place. So once the Supreme Court overturns, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, they're able to act and they're able to do all the heinous things they want to do to ensure that black people are not given equal representation in this country. And that's what we have to be prepared for.

We have to know what we can do legally within our bounds to fight back. And to be honest, once this goes into law, not much. So the key is that the people of Alabama have to fight back. They have to fight hard. It is not yet a law that has come in a problem. place and it's good that we are on the Roland show bringing this to the black community so the black community can take this,

we can get the word out, and we can fight against this. Again, looking at what I've been able to find online from a number of news sources about this, is that this is a bill that's going to allow the flexibility for this state to do what they want to do after we get the ruling from our Supreme Court. And again, none of this has come to pass yet, but it's about us being at the forefront of knowing

what's coming and knowing how to fight against it, knowing how to fight back. That's why I'm so happy that we have independent journalists who are doing the real work like Roland, the Voice of Black America. I also want to say that in the state of Alabama, they have an amazing representative who's fighting who's going to be highly impacted by this at Shamari figures if the voting rights act is struck down. People out there, we need to be doing what we can do to fund and push some money into that campaign for Shamari representative figures so that he has the war chest that he's going to need to fight back.

And not just representative figures, but for every single representative in the South who's going to be affected. section two's rolled back. We got to do our part. We got to do our part. Well, you are watching Roland Martin unfiltered on the Black Star Network. We'll be right back. Black votes are a threat. So they erased them. After the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, Republican legislatures moved fast. New voter ID laws, polling place shutdowns, purges of black voters from the rolls.

Trump's Justice Department didn't stop it. They joined in. In 2018, his DOJ backed Ohio's voter purge system, a scheme that disproportionately erased black voters, their goal, erase black votes, and political power. Yeah, that happened. These are the kinds of stories that we cover every day on Roland Martin unfiltered. Subscribe on YouTube and download the Black Star Network app. Support fact-based independent journalism that centers African Americans and the issues that matter

to our community. Canadian women are looking for more. More out of themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are out of them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey.

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Find resources to help you support your kids and their emotional well-being at soundedouttogether.org. That's sounded outtogether.org. Brought to you by the Ad Council and Pivotal. And the winner of the IHeart Podcast Award is, you can decide who takes home the 26 IHeart Podcast Awards Podcast of the year by voting at IHeart Podcast Awards.com now through February 22nd.

See all the nominees and place your vote at IHeart Podcast Awards.com. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. What's up? It's Talib Kuali. I'm CEO. This is the Black Star Network. Well, the Supreme Court appears inclined to keep Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook in her position, casting doubt on Trump's attempt to exert control over the nation's central bank. The justices heard arguments regarding Trump's effort to dismiss Cook,

who is accused of committing mortgage fraud allegations that she denies. No president has ever fired a sitting federal. deserve governor in its 112-year history as the institution was designed to operate independently of day-to-day politics. This case presents one of the most extraordinary efforts by Trump to expand presidential power. Here are some highlights from today's arguments. There's nothing when under a four-cause removal standard. There is no pre-office conduct that could constitute cause. That is my front-line response. I have. happen to have a backup argument, which is if you pick up the common law, then you would pick up

up the cons- Well, let's take your front-line argument first and see how far you're willing to go. Suppose that the office holder was permitted to resign from a previous job under a don-disclosure agreement based on long and egregious pattern of sexual misconduct. That would not be for cause. That would not be cause for removal. So what I would say, Justice Alito, is I don't think that would be I-N-M. and so if I'm going to stick to my front line position, then that would not be for cause. It would certainly be a basis for impeachment. And I think in understanding why we've had I&M for at least 90 years, probably—

All right, I understand your position. How about if after the person assumes office videos are disclosed in which the office holder is expressing deep admiration for Hitler or for the Klan? I can only imagine where these typos are going to eventually go. Yeah, because your position. I'm going to stick with my position. Of course, I'm going to stick with my position. And I'm going to say that's an official that would be impeached in a heartbeat,

and the fact that they would be impeached in a heartbeat is going to cause them to resign in half a heartbeat. And this has not proven a problem. I mean, for better or for worse, whatever you think of Humphrey's executor, we've had 90 years of... What's your backup argument? My backup argument is the common law standard, Justice Sotomay. Mayor alluded to it, which would be that it is, that there's a removal basis for an infamous crime of the kind that is disabling for public office. And, you know, and at common law, it would also required a conviction. So it's, it's an exception. It helps me with a couple of these hypotheticals.

It doesn't help you. It's not going to help me with the Justice Alito. It doesn't help you. It doesn't. It doesn't. It doesn't. It does. You have a backup to the backup. Impeachment. It's the ultimate backup here. This is not a situation where you're being asked. you know, have to tie yourself to them. To what? In the past, that impeachment doesn't cover private conduct. You obviously disagree with that, then. Well, I certainly see, but this actually kind of makes the point about judicial review, right?

I'm not saying I agree with that, by the way. It's just been argued. Right, but, but what I, what I absolutely agree with is the Walter Nixon case says that there's no judicial review of the impeachment determination in the end. So whatever the House and the Senate ultimately determine, I mean, they can make constitutional law too and they can determine whether private conduct is or is not out and if they say and with these hypoes I mean you know we can we can go down the road of the hypoes and they'll get worse I am a I'm a backup to use justice Gorsuch's term would be the infamous but you don't need a

conviction right I know absolutely and of course seems to solve your answer a lot of the difficult hypos correct correct but the reason I want to spend at least a moment answering of the hard hypoes is not because I'm a masochist. It's just because those are got to be the answers under I&M. Your answer is that those are funneled to the impeachment process. That's right. And that's the way I and M has worked for 150 years. And I think it would continue to work. It hasn't proven a problem in practice. But I'm not resisting very hard the backup to the backup on that because I don't think we're close. And of course, look, all of these are hard questions, which is all of the reasons why it's kind of crazy

to decide this under emergency application. Yes, well, there are a million hard questions in this case and it is an emergency application and very difficult questions either no precedent or very conflicting or very uncertain body of precedent but there are two two things were decided by the lower courts one that what I just explored the district court said it's got to be in office conduct nothing that happened before person took office counts and then the DC circuit said that your client had a property interest in her in her office and therefore a due process right is that right she had a property interest in being a governor on the federal reserve board so i think there's a perfectly reasonable argument for that

but i also think that there's a better argument that's a constitutional avoidance argument and what the dc circuit did in a per curiam opinion is sort of an example of what happens when you're trying to rush all of this which is you jump right to a constitutional holding when there may be a perfectly good constitutional avoidance statutory hold there. And I think we've now had a couple of months since a bunch of amicus briefs to ventilate some of these things. And I think you get, with that ventilation, you get an understanding that there is a very good statutory argument. Justice Sotomayor brought up the public interest here, and we have amicus briefs

from economists who tell us that if Governor Cook is, if we grant you your stay, that it could trigger a recession. How should we think about the public interest in a case like this? Two things to say about that. One is, if you look at what actually happened here, she was removed on August 25th and the stock market went up for the next three days. So we've already had a kind of natural experiment, so to speak, about whether or not the predictions of Doom will really be implemented. Surely that if investors are jittery or whatever the argument is, you would have seen that on August 25th and you did not see that. In fact, you have

surprised... Well, I'll interrupt you there to say that I don't want to be in the business of predicting exactly what the market's going to do. I agree, and that's why I think the court ought to consider all. those amygus briefs and their sort of, you know, predictions of doom with a fairly drawn aside. What the court has to do is weigh, essentially you have in those amegas briefs a reflection of very elite opinion, elite opinion that was happening. But there's a risk, General Sauer.

Yes. I don't want to be responsible for quantifying that risk. I'm a judge, not an economist. But if there is a risk, doesn't that counsel in the stay posture when the equities are at stake caution on our part? I think the court has to weigh that risk against the risk that there will be a permanent damage the Federal Reserve's credibility from allowing an officer or a governor to remain in office who's engaged in this kind of behavior before she engaged in office. Well, do we also engage in some weighing of our own about how serious we think the misbehavior

was in the stay posture, not, and I'm not talking about once the case was here on the merits, but, you know, if she were accused of murder or something like that, if we're talking about something that was really an infamous crime, I mean, should we take the nature of the crime into account in the stay posture in the weighing of the equities? I think what the court ought to take into account is the close nexus between the conduct at issue here and the duties of this incredibly powerful position that has sweeping powerful authority over the entire United States economy. The governor set interest rates for ordinary Americans all across the country, and here there's the appearance of having played fast and loose or at least been grossly negligent

in getting favorable interest rates for herself. So it's appropriate. What's the message to ordinary Americans that comes up? out of that is the question for the court. And how do you weigh that against the elite opinion that's reflected in the amygian's reason? Obviously, President Trump's voice speaks to that concern of ordinary Americans. I think with the balance of the equities, what the court ought to do is look at the merits which are extremely strong for us, and then look at its traditional and can stay factors. The court says, when the government is a party, the irreparable harm to the

government merges with the public interest. And here we have traditional irreparable harms, injuries to the president's ability to remove a principal office of the United States. When you look at, For example, the originals evidence we've talked about in the decisions of 1789, when everybody said, or both camps were saying, of course the president can engage in suspensory removals, and we have a preliminary injunction that is conspicuously non-existent, in your words, in Casa, you know, for 225 years of American history. But, Mr. Sal, do you, I took you to be conceding that there was notice here, and I guess I'm a little concerned about that. I mean, are you conceding that a posting on social media is sufficient notice in a situation like this when the president is seeking to remove a governor for cause?

So what I would say is, you know, I think— I mean, I know it happened. She got notice. We live in a world that is connected, but I guess isn't notice a particular thing in the common law? Well, I mean, this way. Like, I don't sort of resist the idea that the truth social post is noticed. because I think it's also fundamentally defective notice because it's also indisputable evidence that the president prejudged the matter.

Right. It's not the kind of notice. So hypothesize he didn't say you are fired or you should be fired. Hypothesize he just said, you know, I have this information and I intend to fire the governor. Why wouldn't he have to like send the letter to her? How is it that we can assume that she's on social media or has looked at the news or that that's the notice, even if she did turn on the news and he's saying that. I don't know why that would be enough. Look, I might make that argument, but that doesn't seem, you know, I mean, if he said on

truth social that, look, here, I have this allegation and I'm going to convene a hearing at, you know, the Roosevelt room at 4 p.m. tomorrow, please bring all your evidence. What if she doesn't have a true social account? She doesn't show up. Is that enough notice? You know, I think under those circumstances probably not but I think it's a practical matter in most circumstances the president puts it on true social most people most of the time are gonna consider that to be noticed again the part of the reason I'm not resisting is or I'm you know sort of moderating this is because you know this notice isn't the kind of notice the common law envision because the

common law would envision notice that didn't prejudge the matter thank you well the conservative heavy court has frequently cited with him on emergency petitions Cook's case could prove to be an exception. Let's bring in the panel to talk about what we just saw. Dr. Kirk, we'll start with you. What are your thoughts? We can never trust the United States Supreme Court

in this moment. But it looks as though it is possible they are going to do what is in the best interest of the American economy and keep Governor Lisa Cook on the Fed. That's what it seems to be in terms of what we just saw. But I have no faith in our Supreme Court. I have no faith in the Donald Trump appointees. We are living in a nightmare scenario where there is MAGA control and MAGA influence in

all three branches of government. And that is what is governing our nation. So I'm not going to get too excited about the possibility of government Kemp's saying, but there is no legal precedence for her to be removed based upon what we've seen, clearly based upon what our Supreme Court justices have also seen. And that's where I'll leave it. Becca, Justice Amy Coney Barrett said that former federal governors have warned that removing Cook could actually trigger a recession.

Do you think there could be consequences like that? So first, I can't get over the fact that a president who was found guilty of fraud himself, right? It's his government as accusing Lisa Cook a mortgage fraud. And I believe that was something that Letitia James also. brought several of those charges against President Trump. So it's really rich. It really has a lot of hubris. I mean, he has a lot to be able to go after Lisa Cook this way.

We heard Justice Amy Comey say, oh, well, she doesn't want to predict what the market's going to do. This is what we do know. If we see that a president is making political determinations and who is governing our federal reserve system, who is setting the decisions for how our economy is going to be run. Yes, it's going to have major implications. On top of that, when you add it to a president who's saying that he wants to invade Greenland, on top of that when you have a Denmark government saying that they're dropping all of their bonds, they no longer have trust in the U.S. market and U.S. policy,

on top of that, when you see the EU consolidating power and moving away from the United States, when you see the Prime Minister of Canada saying that basically, United States is no longer a predictable or safe or secure ally. In that type of environment, putting your finger on the scale and trying to directly impact the Federal Border Reserve, yeah, I think it's quite an educated guess that there's going to be impacts in the economy. McCune, what are your thoughts about this? What do you think we should be aware of right now?

Well, I think, first of all, Rebecca hit the nail on the head. I think something that was really disconcerting was that we're talking about president. Canadian women are looking for more. More into themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are around them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women.

Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey. So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll be. Join us. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on I Heart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Everyone needs to take care of their mental health, even running back Bijan Robinson. When I'm on the field, I'm feeling the pressure, I usually just take a deep breath. When I'm just breathing and seeing what's in front of me, everything just slows down. It just makes you feel great before I run the play. Just like Bejohn, we all need a strong mental game on and off the field.

Make a game plan for your mental health at loveyourmind playbook.org. Love your mind. you by the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and the ad council. And the winner of the IHeart Podcast Award is, you can decide who takes home the 26 IHeart Podcast Awards Podcast of the year by voting at IHeartPodcastawards.com now through February 22nd. See all the nominees and place your vote at IHeart Podcast Awards.com. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app.

Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. Trump serving Lisa Cook notice over social media. How far we've fallen as the nation's superpower. We're talking about giving someone notice that they no longer have a job on truth social. I don't even have truth social, first of all. So that's just completely confusing to me that we're in United States government, running our government like we are on the playground.

That's number one. Number two, we know we're in a really weird scenario when Justice Kavanaugh starts to make sense. I think it's really scary to know that we are pushing towards fascism. We're pushing towards authoritarianism. Kavanaugh even said that presidents of both parties could just start ginning up reasons to remove governors under such a system. And that would have dangerous implications for a central bank that Congress created specifically to operate independently. independently. When Kavanaugh starts making sense, you know we've hit the end of the road here. Here's what happened. The president is on a witch hunt for Lisa Cook because he feels

like the Fed is not dropping interest rates quickly enough. That's what's happening here. Case closed. Now, are we going to let President Trump remove another black woman, another Biden appointee from office? Or is the judicial system going to do the right thing for once in their lives and uphold the actual carriage of justice in this country. I think that's what we're debating. And like the previous panel said, I don't know that I have much trust in them either, but it seems like for once Trump may have gone too far.

Well, coming up next on Roland Unfiltered. A month ago, Trump promised that he would lower the cost of prescription drugs. Well, pharmaceutical companies just raise prices on more than 850 prescriptions. And later in the show, a new study finds at Louisiana. state police use force disproportionately against black people.

We'll talk to someone from the innocence and justice Louisiana about the Louisiana law enforcement accountability database. And folks, your support is critical so you can continue to bring you stories that matter to us. You can support us via cash app using the stripe code in the bottom left hand portion of your corner of your screen. You can also help us with credit cards. Use the same thing. PayPal's Art Martin unfiltered, Vimmo's RM Unfiltered, Zell at Rowlandsmartin.com, rolling at rolandmartin unfiltered.com. If you're old school, just send us a check, please. Or money order, it's all payable to Roland Martin unfiltered, P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C. 2,00037-0196. Our goal is to continue to

bring to you black news, and we certainly appreciate your support. We'll be right back. If in this country right now, you have people get up in the morning, and the only thing they can think about is how many people they can hurt, and they've got the power, that's the time for mourning. For better or worse, what makes America special, it's that legal system that's supposed to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority.

We are at a point of a moral emergency. We must raise a voice of outrage. We must raise a voice of compassion. And we must raise a voice of unity. We are not in a crisis of party versus party. We are in a crisis of civilization, a human rights crisis, and a crisis of democracy itself. And guess what?

You've been chosen to me. make sure that those that would destroy, those that would hate, don't have the final say, and they don't ultimately win. Hi, I'm Swain Cash, Basketball Hall of Famer, and you're watching Black Star Network. Well, nine Democrats on a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee joined Republicans today and recommending that former President Bill Clinton be held in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to testify as part of the panel's investigation to convictive sex offender, Epstein. Three Democrats voted alongside Republicans in favor of a separate measure to recommend holding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt as well. During the hearing, Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee expressed her concerns, knowing that the Department of Justice has not

sought to charge Attorney General Pam Bondi with contempt for the same documents. Thank you, Ms. Ranking Member. I just want us to speak plainly and lay the facts out what's really happened in this committee. We are one week out from Bill and Hillary Clinton, who did not show up for their depositions one week and we're already having a markup to hold them in contempt. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has been legally obligated to hand over the full, unredacted upsteen files to this committee since August, the same exact subpoena that they are using to hold the Clintons in contempt. And please note that these resolutions are allowing the DOJ to prosecute the Clintons

for the exact same things that the DOJ itself is violating. They have handed over 1% of the files and heavily redacted. five months overdue, Mr. Comer, if you've made no effort to bring in Pam Bonney. So, no, the difference is not clear. You have made no effort to demand any answers to exert any pressure. So with that, Mr. Shear, I do have an amendment at the desk, which would hold Pam Bondi in contempt for noncompliance with the bipartisan subpoena that you issued on August 5th, 2025. I hope that my colleagues will support.

I yield back. Minorities times expired. We're still debating the measure, and we'll take up your amendment once we'll. finished debating the initial measure. I just wanted to respond to a couple of things. I agree. We need to hear from Galane Maxwell. We've been trying to get her in for a deposition. Our lawyers have been saying that she's going to plead the fifth, but we have nailed down a date February 9th where Galane Maxwell will be deposed by this committee. Now, her lawyers have made it clear that she's going to plead the fifth. I hope she changes her mind because I

I want to hear from her, just like I want to hear from... Then bring her. What's that? You said the difference is clear. Turn on your mic. What would you say? If the difference is clear, the difference here is that they are also trying to negotiate. She says she doesn't want to do it.

You have not moved in the same way. So you are actually not applying the same standard here across the board. The deal is in the same exact subpoena. You're out of order. You're out of order. You're out of order. You're out of order. You're out of order, Ms. Lee.

Bring her in then. You're out of order, Miss Lee. You're out of order, Miss Lee. out of order. So we were going to depose Galane Maxwell, February 9. Where are the contempt charges, Mr. Chairman? You're out of order, too, Mr. Garcia.

And we will proceed with that deposition. Ms. Lee said the Clinton's just missed their deadline by a week. We have been negotiating with the Clinton attorneys for five months. Mr. Chairman, five months. Whose time are we speaking on right now?

This is my time. This is my time. I recognize myself, so I have five minutes. You already had your five minutes? All right, well, I'm about finished anyway. I haven't used five minutes. I've used about one minute. But you use your full five minutes, sir.

No, I haven't used the five minutes, Mr. Garcia. Well, when, Cooney, let's start with you. Do you think that the same standards are being applied across the board? No, they're not. It's evident. And shout out Representative Lee for calling that to everyone's attention. Black women continue to save democracy yet again. But I think it's really, really clear about a few things.

things, right? We have to make sure that standards are being held. So if Pam Bondi from the Trump administration is not being held in contempt, then you can't hold the Clinton's in contempt. Now, my argument is not that Clinton shouldn't be held in contempt. It's just that I think that Representative Lee was advocating for equality across the board, right? If we're really trying to put this to bed, this situation about, you know, Jeffrey Epsilon and Jislam as well, we have to make sure that we're holding all parties accountable. What I think was interesting, though, is that the Clintons did submit their, you know, written statements in. And that's what everyone else had done with the exception of one person. And so I'm actually curious as to why they wanted to depose the Clintons

in person, because everyone else, the precedent had kind of already been established that everyone else was submitting in their declarations in a written format, yet they wanted the Clint's to appear in court. So I think that there was not, you know, equity there either. But I think the fact of the matter is if we're actually going to get to the bottom of this, we have to hold people accountable all across the board, no matter if they're within the Trump administration or not. And I think that that's what Representative Lee made clear through her sentiment and remarks. And Dr. Kirk, what are your thoughts about Maxwell potentially pleading the fifth?

Jolene Maxwell needs to be brought her ass up to Congress, as does everybody else, including President Donald J. Trump. And let me tell you right here, I don't give a damn, okay? I don't give one single solitary damn about Bill nor Hillary. I don't care about that. I want justice for the victims of the entire sex trafficking scam and scheme and abuse and violence. I want that. And that's what matters most. But I also want to say I want to echo exactly what was just said. It is not fair. It is not appropriate for the Republicans members of Congress along with their co-conspirators to single out the Clintons and give them a harsher indictment, to roll them out of the American people as political theater while creating a distraction for Donald Trump.

That is fucked up. That is not appropriate. That is not fair. And that's what we are to be fighting against. We need to be really emphasizing that that needs to be called out and put on display. And I want to highlight because I don't expect anything better from the Republicans. They are doing everything they can from waging war in foreign lands to domestically terrorizing and murdering American citizens in the streets of Minneapolis

and other countries to detract from the fact that Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. So I don't expect Republicans to do anything right in Congress right now, but I do expect more of Democrats, and those Democrats that co-signed this, knowing that this was an unfair metric are culpable and we should be holding them accountable. They are sitting here,

co-signing with Republicans on bringing in the Clintons. They're co-siding with Republicans on funding ICE and getting more money to this horrible department that should be defunded. we have got to hold those Democrats to account. Rebecca, what's coming up for you now? I agree with Dr. Kirk. People got to be principal.

Wait, here's the thing. If I remember Ms. Maxwell, after she met with someone associated, I think someone officially in this Trump administration, all of a sudden she was removed to a very, very, very low security federal prison. So I find that interesting. It makes me, it makes,

me actually have a lot more questions on exactly what this administration's connection is with Ms. Maxwell and whether or not that's going to impact of what she says in the Congress. Will the Clintons be held in contempt? That's something that we will have to watch out for here on Roland Martin unfiltered. Stay with us. We will be right back here on the Black Star Network. Next on the Black Table with me, Greg Carr. America is being reshaped in real time by a group of six people, unelected, and without any checks and balances. By the end of the current Supreme Court session, education, the workplace, who gets to elect our leaders, and so much more could radically change. This week, we reconvene our legal roundtable and look at what the new America may look like and how we should respond.

That's next on the Black Table, right here on the Black Star Network. Hey, I'm Malcolm Lee, and you're watching the Black Star Network. Well, Donald Trump is in DeVos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum. He is making America look less than good on the global stage again. He talked about South Africa's alleged white genocide and taking over Greenland. Let's take a listen. Yes, he's here. Hello, Mark.

We never ask for anything. And we never got anything. We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won't do that. Okay? Now everyone's saying, oh, good. That's probably the biggest statement I made because people thought I would use force. I don't have to use force.

I don't want to use force. I won't use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland, where we already had it, as a trustee, but respectfully we turned it back to Denmark not long ago after we defeated the Germans, the Japanese, the Italians, and others in World War II. We gave it back to them. We were a powerful force then, but we are a much more powerful force now, after I rebuilt the military in my first term and continued to do so. So today we have a budget of $1.5 trillion. Doing it, I'm helping Europe, I'm helping NATO.

And until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me. They called me daddy, right? Last time, very smart man said, he's our daddy. He's running it. I was like running it. I went from running it to being a terrible human being. Mr. President, what's your plan on Africa? White genocide in South Africa and are you willing to engage with the South African government?

Well, now what's happening in South Africa is terrible. A terrible situation like they're doing to people. A certain group of people is unbelievable. You wouldn't think it could happen today. What would it make you believe that there is no wine genocide, Mr. President? It's in South Africa. Well, we have seen the numbers. We've seen the records and it is taking place.

Rebecca? White genocide in South Africa? I'm looking at my other panelist's faces. Who called him daddy? Who called him daddy? I know, right. I know, right. I know right.

I'm sorry, I got so distracted after that. At some point, we got to laugh. This is, it's supposed to be, this is, the comments just got me together a few minutes ago and says, stop calling him the president. So for the rest of the show, I will refer to him as 47. Canadian women are looking for more. More to themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are out of them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast.

I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey. So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on IHart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Everyone needs to take care of their mental health, even running back Bejan Robinson. When I'm on the field, I'm feeling the pressure, I usually just take a deep breath.

When I'm just breathing and seeing what's in front of me, everything just slows down. It just makes you feel great before I run the play. Just like Bejohn, we all need a strong mental game on and off the field. Make a game playing for your mental health at loveyourmind playbook.org. Love your mind. Brought to you by the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and the Ad Council. And the winner of the IHeart Podcast Award is,

you can decide who takes home the 26 IHard Podcast Awards Podcast of the year by voting at IHeartPodcastawards.com now through February 22nd. See all the nominees and place your vote at IHeartPodcastawards.com. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy. app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. The occupier in the White House. How did he become the occupier in the White

House? Like this is so embarrassing. And the thing is he's saying really ridiculous, stupid things that have very long-term consequence. Like this is forever going to change, at least for the next 10, 20, 30 years. This is going to change the United States standing around world. And there are many countries who view the United States as increasingly unstable. And for good cause, like, he is intentionally provoking our NATO alliance. He's intentionally provoking the EU. He's intentionally provoking other global leaders across the country. I mean, even the fact that he was leaking text messages, like, you can't even do that in a regular 9-to-5 job. So as president, you're going online and you're leaking.

text messages. Like, this is not serious, but it has real-world dangerous impact, not just for us here in the United States, but for people globally. You know, Dr. Kirk, what really got me is Trump saying that the media won't write about this. Let me tell you what else the media won't write about, because I made a video earlier today on my platform. People find me online, does activists. And I talked about the fact that the President of United States arrived in Davos, Switzerland to no acclaim, to no fanfare, to not one person they're greeting him. This is unprecedented. When the United States arrives at the World Economic Forum, they're usually people that agreed him. Other world leaders to hug him, shake his hand. It's usually an acclaimed

moment. That did not happen this year. This man stumbled off the plane in his clunky, heavy, burned canckel-legged walk and headed right on down a red carpet runway probably put up by his people to no one whatsoever because the whole entire world all of the leaders in this world are sitting here shunning him because of his insane actions and his ineptitude that is what he was greeted by the media also did report on the fact that there are protests happening all across Switzerland right now to him being there. People in Switzerland are protesting that this man is even there. People in Davos projected on the mountains of Davos,

simply saying no kings, all aimed at Donald J. Trump. This man is the embarrassment of the world, and he has made America the embarrassment of the world. That's what the media isn't reporting on. And again, this man and his people own the majority of it. Again, that's why it's so essential that we have Roland Mark. So if y'all out there look at it, Rollin' be having that darn cash app, Zell, streaming, all the things are paid. Go to donate to Roland right now so we can keep this going.

That's right. We need all the support. Absolutely. When Cooney, why do you think that the United States didn't attend the G20 summit in South Africa? Well, according to, what is it, 47, he said, Rebecca, we're calling him. According to Donald Trump, we didn't attend because he refused to acknowledge or address the horrific human rights abuses endured by Afrikaners. The same people who were putting black South Africans in tires and burning them to a pulp.

The same people that incarcerated and imprisoned Nelson Mandela for over 20 years. The same people, I'm sure that this has been put up in his head by his buddy Elon. that there is this white genocide going on. Unfortunately, it's just not true. And to Rebecca and Dr. Kirk were saying a bit earlier, I actually had the privilege of going to Davos last year, and it really is a sham that the United States has fallen for grace in this way, because this is one of the places in the world where it's the world's most reputable leaders.

And we basically have Donald J. Trump, using it as a bidding floor for Greenland. I mean, how insulting, right? Not only weeks after he's marched into another country in Latin America and stolen their president, right, kidnapped their president, and is holding him here against his will, he has now decided that he's like to acquire Greenland.

But a lot of people don't realize, though, he tried to do this through his first term as well. He made an offer on Greenland then, and he was told that Greenland, was not for sale. So I don't know what his fixation and fascination with Greenland is. That's not true. I do know what it is. There's a prospect of oil there, which is exactly why he's in Venezuela, but also because it's the best place for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks, which if the United States continues to harass the rest of the world, I'm sure

we're going to need, you know, that warning. Because I think as we see more and more world countries get more and more irate about the way that Trump is handling, you know, foreign state of affairs, we're more and more in danger. We're living here in America and, you know, it's only a matter of time before another country retaliates. I don't wish it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. I just simply cannot get over him asking, who's your daddy, you know, but, uh, okay, let's take a break. Coming up on Roland Martin unfiltered, Louisiana state troopers use force, against black people at a rate that's out of proportion with their share of the state's population. We'll take a closer look at a recent study that documented 902 use of force incidents involving state

troopers from 2022 to 2024. And everyone watching tonight just know that your support is absolutely critical to what we do here on the Black Star Network. You can support us via cash app using the stripe code in the bottom left hand corner. You can also help with credit cards. It's the same thing. PayPal's R Martin, unfiltered, memos, R.M. Unfiltered, Zell at RowlandSmartin.com. Rolling at Rolandmartin unfiltered.com. If you're old school, you can send checks and money orders, payable to roll the Martin unfiltered. PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C. 2,000-37-0196. Our goal is to raise a million dollars soon. We certainly need your support. Rolla Martin Unfilter, we'll be right back.

You're watching the Black Star Network. At the end of the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965, Dr. King stood in front of the Alabama State House and told 25,000 Americans that the greatest threat to the greedy oligothy is when poor blacks and poor whites and others mobilize together and form a voting block that can fundamentally shift the economic architecture of our nation. In America today, we have fewer voting rights protections than we did when the

Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. And state legislatures have abused their power to try to pick their voters rather than let the voters pick their legislators. Meanwhile, every day people are suffering while the greedy get richer and richer. Dr. King was right and many others were right. The billionaires who think they can buy our politicians are afraid of people. coming together across dividing lines and building power together. In 2013 and 2014, we together in this state built out the Morrill Monday movement. And in 2014, more than 80,000 people showed up in Raleigh for a mass people's assembly. We mobilized our power.

We mobilized our vision. We did not continue to just resist what others were doing. We claimed the world that we wanted, the society that we wanted. And what we did energized was not. partisan, it was principal. Here we are again now in 2026. And it's time to love forward together and mobilize. This is our Selma moment. And we need everybody, regardless of your race, your creed, your color, your religion, your sexuality, whoever you are, if you love voting rights for all, if you love abolishing poverty and bringing into reality, living wage, if you love health care

for all. If you love, love and grace and mercy and do not want to buy into the religious nationalism of hate and meanness and a lack of empathy. If you want to love forward together, welcoming immigrants rather than suffering ice raids. If you love the environment and want to see it cared for rather than the polluters taking over, if you love fully supported public education, if you want to love, not hate, and to have peace and not war, to stand against unchecked militarization and the militarization of our cities. Then it is time to come together and mobilize our power and our passion for justice. Then we now are in a moment where we must move from resistance to loving forward and mobilizing

our power. So from February 11th through the 14th, North Carolinians are going to be walking and marching and caravanning from Wilson to Raleigh. And on Saturday, February 14th, Valentine's Day, we will hold a massive people's assembly for a moral agenda in Raleigh, North Carolina, saying it is time to love forward together. We are marching from a district that MAGA extremists

because of a call from President Trump decided to gerrymandar the first congressional district. Take it away from the people. And we are inviting all defenders of democracy and champions of the common good to meet us in Raleigh on February 14th to reclaim a moral agenda, an agenda for going forward,

to pursue the society and the democracy that we want not only for ourselves, but for our children's children. For somebody's been hurting our people, people and it's gone on far too long and we won't be quiet anymore. We will love forward together. T.D. Jakes, and you are watching the Black Star Network. Well, a three-year analysis of Louisiana state police data shows troopers use force against black people at a rate that's out of proportion with their share of the state's population. Black residents represent 31% of the Louisiana population, yet

they account for 902 use of force incidents involving state troopers from 22 to 2024, or about 60.5 percent of all recorded, according to a data analysis report from Innocence and Justice, Louisiana. Esme Lee, the data and community coordinator of the Louisiana Law Enforcement Accountability Database joined us tonight. We want to welcome you on Roland Unfiltered. Thank you so much for having me. I'm grateful to be here. Well, walk us through this report in 2025. Why don't police have the training that they need to avoid using force?

Absolutely. Yeah, so I'll just walk you through a little bit of the data that we analyzed and the findings that we found. And we can go from there. But just to reiterate what you mentioned initially, we received the Louisiana state police use of forced data from 2022 to 2024 back in October. And this was really exciting because we have been requesting this data for quite a few years and hadn't received it so far. Canadian women are looking for more. More to themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are out of them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest

Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey. So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on IHeartRadio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. The more you listen to your kids, the closer you'll be. So we asked kids, what do you want your parents to hear? I feel sometimes that I'm not listened to. I would just want you to listen to me more often and evaluate situations with me and lead me towards success.

Listening is a form of love. Find resources to help you support your kids and their emotional well-being at soundedouttogether.org. That's sounded outtogether.org. Brought to you by the Ad Council and Pivotal. And the winner of the IHeart Podcast Award is you can decide who takes home the 26

IHeart Podcast Awards podcast of the year by voting at IHeartPodcastawards.com now through February 12, See all the nominees and place your vote at iHeartpodcastawards.com. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com.

And so in October, we received, we re-requested the data after a new Louisiana legislation was passed, mandates use of force reporting. And some additional context that new legislation, State Senator Gary Carter was representing an individual, a black woman from Jefferson Parish, who was brutalized by JPSO back in 2021. And State Senator Gary Carter, as her attorney, brought one, she sued JPSO, and JPSO settled that lawsuit back in, I believe, that was 2022 for excessive force and also in her initial suit. She alleged racial bias connected to this one particular officer, Julio Alvarado, who has kind of extensive history of misconduct in JPSO. But so when Gary Carter brought this legislation to the state Senate, it was unanimously passed. And so we now have this new act in Louisiana that mandates use of force reporting.

So that's a little bit of additional context for how we got this data set. And when we started, when I first received it, I just do very basic exploratory analysis on any data set. And pretty immediately, it was clear that there was a really disproportionate or a really high number of black residents in the individuals listed as those who were subject to Louisiana state police use of force. So that was an initial trend that we noticed. We did some due diligence. And in particular, when we're looking at police use of force or if we're evaluating, excuse me, any racial disparities in. police data, it's really important that we not only think about what the raw numbers are, but also compare that to the share of population, the demographic populations in that area.

So we did those analyses, and we did find pretty significant racial imbalances in who was being subject to use of force. And let me just pull up our population normalized. I know you mentioned the initial breakdown, but when we normalize for population demographics across the state, we see that while black residents make up approximately 30% of Louisiana state population, black residents were subject to 60.5% of Louisiana state police force incidents.

And with white residents, we see the opposite trend. So white residents make up 60% of Louisiana. about 60% of Louisiana state population and were the subject of 23% of Louisiana state police use of force incidents. So we thought that that was an important trend and an important data set that we needed to get out to the public and to organizers and advocates. And so that's kind of a little bit of what brings me, I think, to you all today. And in my understanding that the numbers could actually be lower or much higher than what's reported because there's a high number of unknown citizens that make up about 11% of the use of force?

Yes, exactly. So that's a limitation on the analysis that, you know, 11% of the subject or civilian race categories were left blank. So we didn't. don't know how that affects the analysis and the findings. And yeah, we also, there's very low numbers or incidents involving Hispanic, Asian, and indigenous residents. And so we also were aware that, you know, it has been documented in other agencies about race miscategorization. And so, yes, we are also, we understand that there are limitations to the precision of the analysis, and those numbers could be higher, they could be lower. But what you did find was that in southwest Louisiana, the numbers were about three times higher for black people compared to others.

Also, talk to us about the reporting and why those numbers, we may not have a full idea of just how bad this is. Yeah, yes. So I think, yeah, I think you're referring to the Illuminator report and a little bit about like the response that we got on this, on this. The post council. Tell us a little bit more about the post council. I guess it's made up of the chiefs, the prosecutors. And so as I understand that the police departments are supposed to send this council the reports for the officers. and why the council may not have all of the reports that they need from the police departments because they're so busy, maybe they're not able to provide this timely information. Yeah, of course. Yeah, so the post council in Louisiana is responsible for maintaining law enforcement data

and records from the various agencies across the state. And particularly in Louisiana, our post council is, supposed to maintain the employment data. So anytime an officer leaves and joins a new agency, they're supposed to keep those records. And so really what we were trying to highlight in this article and what we've had issues with is that those records of officer employment and specifically officer employment across agencies, they're in these, maintain in these officer history reports. and so far we've requested probably about requested and received about 5,000 post officer history reports, but they're really expensive and then we have to extract the data from those

officer history reports because they're not given to us in a spreadsheet. So that's really, because it's hard to get that data, one, to receive that data upon public records request from the agency, and then two, to extract the data, we're not able to confidently track officer employment across agency. And we're also a part of the National Police Index. We work with that organization, and so it is the National Police Index consolidates police employment records across the nation. And so there's about 30 states that provide maybe close to, I believe it's about 30 states that provide all employment data. So really Louisiana is a bit

of an outlier in that it's so far it's been very difficult for us to get that data from post council. Let's bring in the panel. Dr. Kirk, do you have any questions for us met? Yeah, I do. This is horrible news, but in no way surprising news. But the, those of us who follow, who know, who've always known the disproportionality that exists from our law enforcement officers. The question is, what comes next? What can we do about this? Yeah. Thank you so much for asking. Really what we're trying to do with LEED and that project, because Innocence and Justice, Louisiana also is a legal nonprofit and we do other tangential work. What we're trying to do with this data, because we know that there's

racial discrimination in our across the criminal legal system, we believe that providing that one of the first steps is to actually have this data and be able to use that to influence advocacy and policy because we know whether it's in Louisiana or across the nation, it's really hard to get actual data on police conduct and there are really few avenues for police accountability. So really that's what we believe this. the first step is this data, transparency, and accountability. And what we hope is that we can connect with then organizers, advocates, policymakers, and even law enforcement agencies themselves and use, you know, this data and this really jarring trend to increase accountability and

transparency and policy to create legitimate change. If that's... I mean, Cooney, do you have a question? Yeah, first of all, Asmay, thank you for the incredible work that you're doing. I love the concept of having a public, a public kind of search engine, if you would, where you can actually find officers with a history of infractions. My question is, will the public be able to contribute to this database, right? Because I know one of the struggles is that sometimes the police officers or police officers or police departments rather, don't want to provide this type of information.

But let's say I have an adverse experience with the police officer and I've documented his name or badge number. Is there a way to file a public complaint with the search engine or the tool you're building so that my complaints can be realized as well? Yeah, we've been thinking about that a lot and we want to figure out a way that we can provide a space and hold a space for the narrative. of the people that we speak with about these issues. So that's one thing that we're brainstorming about how we build that out and lead. People fail official complaints against the law enforcement agency

as one remedial pathway. And then two, we also do work with other organizations and in Louisiana that do have civilian misconduct complaints. And the reason why we don't have that kind of portal, on our lead Louisiana law enforcement accountability database site is because we don't currently have the attorney capacity to then litigate people's misconduct experiences or complaints, but we direct them to other organizations that do. But we're definitely thinking about how we can incorporate and really empower, you know,

not just the narrative that exists within the law enforcement data, but also the narratives that are often obscured from the law enforcement data. So I really appreciate that question and there will definitely be changes coming soon, but so far that's those are pathways that we've been pursuing. Thank you. Rebecca, anything coming up for you? Sure. First, thank you for gathering the data.

This definitely is not surprising to me like the two other co-pedalists mentioned. In my opinion, this is not a training issue. More training. We do lots of training. We still millions, hundreds of millions of dollars in training police in this country, and we still end up with these types of results.

And so, in my opinion, this system was designed for the very outcomes that your data is reflecting. My question is, do you think at a state policy level that there is appetite to remove or do something around qualified immunity, to make sure that these very law enforcement people who are found liable or maybe even criminal.

Who knows? Louisiana might go the extra mile there, might allow litigants to go after these folks personally and not just use public funds to pay out these lawsuits when this type of wrongdoing is found. Yeah, that's a great question. And I think right now, my sense in Louisiana is that that type of political reform might be a bit out of reach until the 2027 and we have some turnover within our state legislator and legislative bodies in particular within the Criminal Justice Council. but that is something that I think with the data and the analysis that we're currently collecting and analyzing, we hope to do more coalition building and organizing and lobbying around the state so that we can see some of those changes by 2027. As mainly the data and community coordinator of the Louisiana law enforcement accountability database,

We want to thank you so much for joining us here on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Canadian women are looking for more. More into themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are out of them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey.

So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on IHartRadio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Babes, what are you doing? What? I'm just mowing the lawn. No, it's blazing hot and dry out here. Don't you remember? Smokey Bear says, Avoid using power equipment when it's windy or dry. Where'd you learn this?

Oh, it's on... Smokeybear.com with many other wildfire prevention tips. Right. Thanks, honey, bear. Because remember, only you can prevent wildfires. brought to you by the USDA Forest Service, your state forester, and the Ad Council. And the winner of the IHeart Podcast Award is, you can decide who takes home the 26,

IHeart Podcast Awards, podcast of the year, by voting at IHeartPodcastawards.com, now through February 22nd. See all the nominees and place your vote at IHeartPodcastawards.com. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com.

And providing so much good information for us tonight. Thank you so much for having me. And again, the Louisiana law enforcement accountability database by Innocence and Justice Louisiana is open to everyone on the internet. So we hope you'll check us out. And please get in touch. We tailor our data analyses and outreach to various organizations. So we'd love to hear from anyone. And thank you all so much for the discussion and for having me. But to know, thank you so much. We appreciate your time. And folks, you are watching Roland Martin unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. Stay with us. We have more news on the other side of this bird.

I was told my ideas weren't for everyone and that I didn't fit in. But in America, free speeches for everyone, including the press. I'm Brittany Noble, Midwest-born HBCU educated with experience in newsrooms across the country. I've used social media to tell stories that traditional media overlooked, and those stories sparked national conversations. Now I've teamed up with Roland Martin to bring to you the breakdown. This isn't just news. It's our stories, our voice, our community.

Join me for the breakdown weekdays at midday, only on the Black Star Network. I'm Mark Morial president's CEO of the National Urban League, and I'm watching a Black Star Network. Well, a Virginia lawmaker is moving to end the state's Confederate-themed license. plates. House bill 1344 would phase out plates honoring Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the sons of Confederate veterans. Under the proposal, drivers who already have the plates can keep them until their registrations expire, but no new plates would be issued. The bill was introduced this week, and it's now awaiting review. If passed, it would mark another step in Virginia's

ongoing effort to remove Confederate symbols from state property. Also, a federal judge on Tuesday, barred Lindsey Halligan from referring to herself as U.S. attorney after court documents revealed that she continued using the title despite no longer holding that position. The ruling stems from a November decision by U.S. District Judge Cameron Curry, who found that Halligan's appointment as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was invalid and violated the Constitution's appointments clause. As a result, Judge Curry dismissed the cases Halligan had filed against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Also, top in headlines tonight, the Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal

court ruling that blocked its effort to crack down on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, which had threatened federal funding for schools and colleges all across the country. The move leaves in place a federal judge's August ruling, which found that anti-DDI campaign violated the First Amendment and failed to follow. federal procedural rules. At the center of the dispute was federal guidance warning schools and colleges. They could use federal funding if they continued the wide range of practices, the Republican administration labeled as DEI. Stick with us. Roland Martin unfiltered, we'll be right back here on the Black Star Network. They said the quiet part out loud.

Black votes are a threat. So they erased them. After the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, Republican legislatures moved fast. New voter ID laws, polling place shutdowns, purges of black voters from the rolls. Trump's Justice Department didn't stop it. They joined in. In 2018, his DOJ backed Ohio's voter purge system, a scheme that disproportionately erased black voters, their goal, erase black votes and political power. Yeah, that happened. These are the kinds of stories that we cover every day on Roland Martin unfiltered. Subscribe on YouTube and download the Black Star Network app. Support fact-based independent journalism that centers African Americans and the issues

that matter to our community. Next on the black table with me, Greg Carr. America is being reshaped in real time by a group of six people, unelected, and without any checks and balances. By the end of the current Supreme Court session, education, the workplace, who gets to elect our leaders and so much more could radically change. This week, we reconvene our legal roundtable and look at what the new America may look like and how we should respond.

That's next on the black table right here on the Black Star Network. How you doing it? I'm Mark Curry and you're watching the Black Star Network. That's why I got these glasses on because that Black Star is bright. Welcome back. Pharmaceutical companies have hiked prices on hundreds of drugs. People will see a 4% increase on more than 850 drugs. That includes everything from COVID-19 vaccine to OZMPIC,

despite Trump's efforts to keep the prices low. Now, remember, just a month ago, he guaranteed that people would be paying less. Just take a listen. The world's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, all very big names, celebrities in their own right, very, very powerful people. And they head some of the most admired companies anywhere in the world.

It's a great group to announce that they've agreed to offer many of their flagship drugs, really all of their flagship drugs, at heavily discounted, most favored nations prices. In other words, whatever the drug sells for over the world, in the world, whatever the lowest number is, if it's Germany, if it's in UK, anywhere, we will match that price. 46 Brooklyn Research, a drug pricing non-profit, says the change is implemented as of January 9th, or on par with the amount of drug companies

that raise prices in 2025. List prices typically are not how much consumers pay at the pharmacy county or for mail-order prescriptions, factors such as rebates, insurance, discounts, and co-payments, deductibles, and co-insurance all determine how, much people must spend to pick up their prescriptions. Annual price hikes are less than they were a decade ago when yearly increases typically exceeded about 10%. Drug companies are also launching

new brand-name drugs at higher prices. Let's bring in the panel. Let's talk about this. We'll start with you, Dr. Kirk. We're talking about 850 drugs, at least 4% or higher. It's heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking. Like, and what makes it so disappointing. What really makes it so heartbreaking is that progress was being made. We know that health, we know that health care costs are significantly higher in this country than what they should be. And they never went down to where they should have went down under the ACA.

And now they're going back up again for millions on millions of Americans. We know that we're paying more pharmaceuticals for the life-sustaining medications that we need in this country, that we shouldn't be paying for at that rate. And it's only going up because we, the American people, we, we missed a moment. I'm talking to every single person watching the show. I know you're out there saying I voted the way that I should have voted. I bought fucking Kamala Harris. I did too.

I know that's what you're saying. And I'm saying I did too. But we're a democracy. We rise together. We fall together. We have certainly fallen. And it's just heartbreaking. With anything around health care, around medical treatment, around pharmaceuticals,

and the prices that the people are paying, it breaks my heart. It breaks my heart. And it's only getting worse. It's only going to go up because we have an administration office who's determined to make the rich richer while the rest of us suffer immeasurably. Rebecca, what are your thoughts? Are you in agreement to? I implement tariffs on the majority of countries around the world, including countries where some of these very key drugs are manufactured. because that means when you import those drugs that are manufactured in foreign countries

and you try to import them into the United States, if you have a 150% tariff, if you have a 25% tariff, guess who ends up paying that tariff? It's not the country that is exporting it to the United States for the United States to import it, but it's going to be the end user, it's going to be the consumer, it's going to be the customer, it's going to be the patient. So it's not surprising that we're seeing drug prices trending in that direction. We also, from a policy perspective, Dr. Kirk is right. The first step with the Affordable Care Act was to bend the cost curve to make sure that

people have access to decent-ish, decent enough insurance to able to access health care. The next step was dealing with prescription drugs. So yes, we saw in 2022 when Congress passed. I think it was under the Inflation Reduction Act, which allowed Medicare for the first time to directly negotiate the price of drugs. Well, that's great for Medicare, but when we're talking about prescription drugs in this country, usually this is where we need the president to not piss off the entire world, so the president could then negotiate drug prices across borders. But threatening people, threatening companies, isn't the way to do so.

So when you have this chaos in Washington in which the way that we see that this administration or someone said in the comments, this current regime is handling its business, it impacts everyone. This is the latest and probably what's in a long list, a long line of things that are going to directly impact the American people in their pocketbooks because of the person who is currently on paper leading our country. When Cooney, Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine jumped 15%. 15%. Unfortunately, that's probably just a start. I think that we're going to continue to see a rise in these prescription prices. And I really want us to pay attention to the fact that the United States healthcare is a paradox, right? We continue to excel in innovation and in science, but we continue to perform poorly due to high cost.

We don't have universal coverage. We have significant inequalities. And we're often ranking. Canadian women are looking for more. More out of themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are out of them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark.

And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey. So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on I Heart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. The more you listen to your kids, the closer you'll be. So we asked kids, what do you want your parents to hear? I feel sometimes that I'm not listened to. I would just want you to listen to me more often and evaluate situations with me and lead me towards success.

Listening is a form of love. Find resources to help you support your kids and their emotional well-being at soundedouttogether.org. That's sounded outtogether.org. Brought to you by the Ad Council and Pivotal. And the winner of the IHeart Podcast Award is, You can decide who takes home the 26 IHeart Podcast Awards Podcast of the year by voting at IHeartPodcastawards.com now through February 22nd. See all the nominees and place your vote at IHeartPodcastawards.com.

Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. Blast in health care outcomes, access, and equity compared to other high-income nations. I mean, again, the United States continues to flounder on the world stage when it comes to health care. And this particular administration or regime, as Rebecca mentioned, is not helping that at all.

I think, unfortunately, and in President Trump's rush to dismember Obamacare as much as he could, he unfortunately and effectively, you know, took away health care from so many Americans that were receiving it under the Affordable Care Act. And it's really a sad thing when you let pride and ego take away from the rights. And I consider health care a right that Americans have to receiving affordable and equitable health care here in this country. Dr. Kirk, it wasn't too long ago where Trump promised that Americans would be paying less for prescription drugs. What happened? He lied. That's all this man does is lie.

He lied to the American people. knew damn well he had no plan in place for anything nor did he even have concepts of a plan all he had were well-defined lies and well-developed lies fictions that he was going to sales to the american to american public flat out wolf tickets wolf tickets and that's what we're living in this man also said he was going to bring down prices and we are now living in an affordability crisis we literally saw and i forget that the our united states secretary of agriculture i was astounded to hear this woman say today that the american people had to be living off of three dollars per meal $3 per meal.

In Trump's America, you cannot even afford, please forgive my French, my flat-out English. You can't even afford to wash your ass. You can't afford it. You make $7.25 per hour as minimum wage, yet soap costs over $5. Toothpaste costs over $5. The odor is over $5.

You can't even afford to be hygienic in Donald Trump's America. You have to work two hours or more just to wash your peach in Donald Trump's America. There is no affordability. He lied. He told a flat out lie to the American people, and the American voters bought it, hook, line, and sinker.

Well, the ones who really voted, who got up and voted. Rebecca, talk more about the impact that this prescription hike will have on our community. Sure. One of the things in the Affordable Care Act, I don't know if people will remember. remember this from, this would have been what, 16 years ago, 17 years ago, the whole idea of closing the donut hole. Because we know for, you know, my dad, mad dad is about the turn 76. He, like other people of his age group, that means that they're on Medicare.

That's the government insurer, which they're able to be able to access health insurance that way. part of Medicare, we know there's Medicare Part A, which I think is hospitalization. There's Part B, there's Part C, but there's Part D. If I remember correctly, Part D is for prescription drugs. And so there was this concept of closing the donut hole, meaning, as we all know, if you have health insurance, you have to pay so much until you hit your out-of-pocket maximum. or sorry, you pay, you have, even with health care insurance, you have to pay until you now hit

that threshold and then 80% or 100% of costs then is absorbed by your plan. And so the larger that gap is between how much you're paying until your insurance plan kicks in and covers the rest, the additional costs, especially of your prescription drugs, This is going to impact a lot of people who are in retirement. Because when people plan for retirement, those who do, generally you're planning 20, 30, 40 years in advance. This hazardous increase in health care costs and prescription drug costs simply wasn't a part of the plan. People didn't expect that they're going to have to set aside even more money outside of if they still have a mortgage or if they're paying rent outside of rising costs of utilities. So when the overall cost of living is going up in this country, and then on top of that,

you have health care costs, you have prescription drug costs that are going up at an even higher pace. What's happening, like Dr. Kirk said, some people can't afford to wipe their behind. And Dr. Kirk, I would argue there are some people of different persuasions who weren't wiping their behind anyway. But for those of us who are inclined to do so, things are just getting so expensive. Things are getting out of control. And that's something typically we ask Congress to step in because this is now an issue of national import, of national importance.

Instead, just like with the clips who saw earlier, Congress is debating whether or not they're going to pull the Clintons in front of a congressional committee, which really isn't going to move the needle on any type of national policy. And so right now we're seeing a very unresponsive Congress. We're seeing a delusional resident. in the White House. And so right now it's uncertain times for many Americans in this country. Lankuni, I want to go back to you. You know, the diabetes drugs, Ozympic, Manjero, they're very, very popular. They're up 3%. And then you also think about the fact that employers, really, many of them don't even cover these drugs. Yeah, the semi-glutides are on the rise right now. And, And I think the really interesting distinction is that they're covered for diabetes,

but not as a weight loss drug, right? And so a lot of folks are kind of in limbo, but I think what we're missing here is that obesity is a huge crisis within the United States, particularly within the African American community. So, you know, from my vantage point, you shouldn't have to have diabetes to receive a prescription to these drugs because really and truly, and your insurance should cover it. That's the important part. You can still get it right. You can still purchase it out of pocket, but your insurance should cover it, particularly if you're

suffering from a condition like obesity. That's a real condition with real comorbidities that really persist, particularly within communities of color. And we have to pay attention to that. This is the medical apartheid that was written about. This is this sort of social disenfranchisement that we're paying attention to is that when you say, you say, you're saying that. that people can get, you know, O-ZMPIC,

would go V or any semi-glutide for diabetes, but not for weight loss. What communities are you speaking to? Oftentimes historically disenfranchised communities, often tries historically disengaged communities, black and brown communities. So when America coughs, Black America gets a cold, right? And so we need to really think about long term,

what are the impacts to these medications? Because it's bigger than a chronic a condition. This is the way that America continues to treat its black citizens, and we have to pay critical attention to that. Final thoughts, Rebecca? Look, people, this is what I have to say, make sure you all are eating the best quality food that you can eat. Make sure you're moving your body daily and getting certain forms of exercise. Make sure you're drinking water. Because what we're seeing right now, we all have to do our part to stay as healthy as we can in order to be back potential genetics.

With it, with it, we have to do those basic things to stay healthy. Because what we're seeing in this country right now is that they're making it nearly impossible to be able to continue to grow, to continue to age with dignity and with affordability. So that means as a community, we have to do community care. We have to take care of one another. If you have a little extra and you have a neighbor who doesn't have enough, then share it with them because ultimately we're who we got and you know what when Cooney was saying like

this is hitting black America hard fortunately unfortunately we're used to having a government that doesn't properly give us our due and I say properly give us our due because we're taxpayers we pay into the system and oftentimes we don't get back what we put in into this country and unfortunately we're used to that and so we're going to have to do a lot of community care take care of one another, make sure we have community food banks. If you are a hiring manager or if you own your own business, make sure that you're hiring folks in your community as well. Look for ways to promote and to look out for one another

because it's quite frankly, we're all we got. We can't rely on this federal government. In some cases, we can't rely on the state or local government where we reside. But we're going to have to figure this out to make sure that our community is able to move forward. Because at some point, the tide is going to shift and things are going to turn. But until then, we have to figure out how to survive and where we can, how we can, how we could thrive.

Winkuni, do you have a final thought tonight? I would echo Rebecca's sentiments. I think we have to pay attention. As someone who studied public health for a long time, this is classic. This is classic. You know, we have systemic racism. We have institutionalized racism. and we have medical apartheid.

You know, this is just, it's almost like if we think back to the 1960s when, you know, you couldn't be seen at certain hospitals, you know, we're not able to do things like that as overtly these days. So unfortunately, the hegemony has found new ways to disenfranchise black people to keep them poor and to keep them ill. And this is one of those ways, right? It's Rebecca mentioned. It's limiting where they get out.

access to food from. I live in Washington, D.C. and in this particular award, Word 7, it's a food desert. You know, when you really think about where are the local community places where I can get fresh foods, you're going to see that that does not predominantly exist within black and brown communities. However, what you will find is a liquor store. What you will find is a fried chicken store. And this is not by accident. This is systemic. And then when you get chronically ill from eating terribly and drinking terribly and ingesting all of this sugar under this administration, you can't go to the hospital and be seen without having really, really great health insurance. You can't get the medications that you need or deserve. And so it's really critically

important to pay attention to that. And I encourage everyone to look into the other countries that are doing it differently. The way the United States is doing it is not the only way that health care is done. You can only look at our neighbors to the North Canada where they can get health care just for just about anything for free, for pennies on the dollar. And it's not because their health care is less sophisticated than ours. It's because they've taken an interest in ensuring that their constituents are cared for with dignity. And so that's not something that we can't do here in the United States. One of the richest countries on earth, it's something that we're choosing not to do. And so when people go out to the polls, even this year in

2026, I want you to pay attention to what that means for you, what that means for your family, and when that means for people that look like you, particularly when it comes to your health. Dr. Kirk, I know you said you were heartbroken about the cost of 850 drugs being at least 4% more expensive. Anything else that you want viewers to know tonight about this? that they, I want to echo what these two amazing women have said in that we have to collectively work as a community and we have to prioritize and emphasize our Black health, mental and physical. And to be honest with you, spiritual, to carry us through the moments that we're living in this country. We cannot trust our government and we cannot trust the agencies that are there.

And we really also cannot trust most media sources to give us the information that we need about what's happening. We had a massive surge in influenza. a subclay K. And it was hardly mentioned and talked about on the news until it was already widespread. And many Americans were encouraged to not get vaccines from our federal government, encouraged to not to vaccinate our children

to protect them in their health. We're seeing a surge in measles cases in South Carolina, a disease that was almost completely eradicated, and hardly even mentioned now taking a toll. We're seeing more and more children actually die from these diseases because they haven't had their MMR vaccine. We have to inform, educate our own community and we have to care about them as well. I grew up in rural Mississippi. I grew up on plots and acres of land that's still within my family.

Canadian women are looking for more. More to themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are of them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey. So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on I Heart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Everyone needs to take care of their mental health, even running back Bejan Robinson. When I'm on the field, I'm feeling the pressure, I usually just take a deep breath. When I'm just breathing and seeing

what's in front of me, everything just slows down. It just makes you feel great before I run the play. Just like Bijan, we all need a strong mental game on and off the field. Make a game plan for your mental health at love your mind playbook.org. Love your mind. Brought to you by the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and the ad council. And the winner of the IHeart Podcast Award is,

you can decide who takes home the 26 IHeart Podcast Awards Podcast of the year by voting at IHeartPodcastawards.com now through February 22nd. See all the nominees and place your vote. vote at iHeartpodcastawards.com. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen.

Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. And we had six gardens every single year. Six huge fields. One dedicated to watermelons. One dedicated to corn. Several dedicated to greens and beans. And we farmed in the all-year. We had summer crops, spring crops,

and we also had winter crops like potatoes, and we had terms, we had root of Vegas. That is how I grew up. That's what we ate. That was a sustenance that sustained us. And now in hearing and thinking about this, in terms of affordability, in terms of what our ancestors went through to survive hard times, we're ill-prepared.

We're ill-equipped. We don't have the same mechanisms of the ancestors to endure. And we need to know that. We need to own that. We start being prepared for what is to come. what is to come and the only way that we're going to sustain and the only way that we're going to survive is within community together and we each have a role to play my role like roland's like the ladies on this panel is to inform is to educate is to be a voice out there doing that work

that's why i'm here on social media at this activist and i encourage everyone out there watching to find out what is your role what are you called to do in this moment for us for the black community and do all that you can to do it and do it well dr kirk we hear you loud and clear, take care of our physical, mental, and spiritual health. Well, we have more news on the other side of this break tonight on Rolla Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. You're right back. I was told my ideas weren't for everyone and that I didn't fit in.

But in America, free speeches for everyone, including the press. I'm Brittany Noble, Midwest-born HBCU educated with experience in newsrooms across the country. I've used social media to. to tell stories that traditional media overlooked and those stories sparked national conversations. Now I've teamed up with Roland Martin to bring to you the breakdown. This isn't just news.

It's our stories, our voice, our community. Join me for the breakdown weekdays at midday, only on the Black Star Network. I'm Ryan Wilson, CEO, co-founder of The Gathering Spot, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Well, Tuesday marked one year since Trump returned to the White House. The Lincoln Project released a very big, reminding people that Trump completed his mission to punish America.

November 5th, 2024, Donald Trump defeats a divided and dispirited democratic campaign. On January 20th, 2025, Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Unfortunately, he keeps his promises. Trump seizes control of a divided government, signing hundreds of executive orders implementing Project 2025. Trump replaces over 50,000 civil servants with hardline Maga loyalists. The federal oath of office now requires declaring loyalty to the president, not the Constitution. Protected by the Supreme Court's grant of total immunity for official acts, Donald Trump orders the Department of Justice to arrest members of the January 6th Commission, current and former DOJ employees, and political

opponents for treason, election interference, and conspiracy. He declares it to be an official act. Trump ends birthright citizenship by executive order and turns millions of American-born citizens into illegal aliens overnight. Mass deportations begin. Hundreds of thousands, including legal U.S. residents and American citizens, are imprisoned in newly built camps. Protests erupt. Trump addresses the nation from the Oval Office, invoking the Insurrection Act, and declaring the protesters at danger to American sovereignty. He orders the National Guard to use deadly force to suppress the protests.

In the wake of the bloody violence, Trump declares nationwide martial law, awarding himself new powers under the freshly signed American sovereignty protection order, which defines protests of immigration policies as non-protected speech and a threat to national security. Governors in New York, California, Illinois, and elsewhere declare their opposition, promising to refuse compliance in their states. Trump orders their arrests. Trump pardons every January 6 attacker, including those who assaulted the police, and in a White House ceremony, issues a new presidential medal honoring them. Many are given jobs in his administration. The Department of Education has renamed the Department of American Values and mandates a nationwide Christian.

nationalist curriculum for all schools receiving federal aid. Trump, joined by Speaker Mike Johnson and evangelical leaders, announces that the Department of Health and Human Services as reclassified Mithopristone, making it illegal to distribute or prescribe, as well as new HHS regulations that make IVF treatments impossible to legally administer. Trump reverses one campaign promise by declaring a national abortion ban by executive order. Challenges to his authority are rejected by the Supreme Court, which has seen new appointments from Trump after it was expanded to 12 justices.

He signs an executive order removing abortion records from HIPAA privacy regulations and announces a new federal data sharing program so states can monitor women's periods. Thousands are detained while crossing state lines under suspicion of seeking an abortion. Trump's acting secretary of defense, a disgraced ex-general, fires over 400 generals and admirals, leaving the military leaderless. Trump appointees purge the ranks of the CIA, FBI, and Department of Justice. By executive order, Trump withdraws the United States from NATO and ends Pentagon cooperation with Ukraine. Russian tanks enter Kiev. Vladimir Zelensky is killed. It is announced that

Trump will run for a third term, claiming he was unfairly cheated in the 2020 election. His Supreme Court ultimately agrees with this interpretation, paving the way for Trump's 2028 re-election. If you hear all this and believe it isn't possible, then ask yourself, what did you believe was impossible just eight years ago? This isn't a fantasy. It's Trump's plan, and he's counting on you to believe it couldn't happen. Right. I'll have my panel discuss this video from the Lincoln Project. When Cooney will start with you. What did you think about this breakdown? First of all, I thought it was a great breakdown. I think the Lincoln Projects doing really great work, and it was a really clear synthesis

of some of the really scary things that have happened in the last 12 months. Wow, I can't believe it's only been a year since President Trump was inaugurated. There's so much to say, but I think, you know, some of the scarier highlights of the video was the fact that, you know, we no longer have people in office that are competent. at their job, we simply have people that are loyalist. And that's a tenet of fascism and authoritarianism. When you take out all the folks who are competent and good at their jobs and replace them with people who are simply loyal, not to the Constitution but to the president, that's a different America.

You know, America's quickly changing and modulating. When you think about someone who pardon all of the J6 insurrectionist, what message is a is that sending to America? I'll tell you it's emboldening racist. It's emboldening white supremacy. It's emboldening white evangelical Christians to continue to push and promote their agenda. And then you see the global implications of him

withdrawing from NATO, of him invading Venezuela, of him even wanting to run for a third term. What does that mean for the Constitution? What does that mean for the American people? What does that mean for the global community? I think we've constantly seen this administration continue to unend any semblance of normalcy that we've had in the United States and other countries, quite frankly, have started to take notice.

Dr. Kirk, what are your thoughts? I mean, loyalty to the president and not the Constitution? Yeah, it's loyalty to billionaires and to funders and to a vision of America that is white nationalist. That's where the loyalty lies. There is no constitution in Trump's America. Now, I'm gonna be honest now. I don't like that started at video.

I mean, you know, like, Lini Lisa, you better watch them B-Words. You better keep Kamala's name out your mouth. So they started off talking about divide devices, Democratic candidate, I know slander on the name of Vice President Kamala Harris, the right-for-president of the United States of America.

Now, I didn't like that Lincoln Project, you better watch your mouth. But I will say the video was well done, and it was a very accurate montage of what we're living with when we have a, man in the White House, and I keep going back to the animal farm reference of, you know, don't believe your eyes and ears. Don't believe what you see clearly. And I want to, I keep forgetting was it snowball, the character snowball that became the president or Napoleon. I think it was snowball,

set his fat pig butt up there and became the president and animal farm. And that's what we have a snowball in the White House, except it's an orange ball of terror being inflicted upon the American people. That's what we're living with. And this man has done again, all these things. to inflict terror on the American people while enriching himself, enriching his family, and enriching his friends. The people that have pledged loyalty to him, the billionaires out there like Mark Zuckerberg, who gave a million dollars to his inauguration,

Tim Cook and Apple, they gave a million dollars to his inauguration, Jeff Bezos and Amazon. They gave a million dollars to inauguration at the cost of the American people. I love the fact that video did that I also want to emphasize that I want to highlight, that so much of what this man has done has been to detract and distract from the release of the Epstein files and from the truth that those files will bring to light that we are probably never in this country going to actually see. And that's another disappointment, but a reality of what we're living in in Trump's snowballed America.

You know, Rebecca, the video detailed ending birthright citizenship, mass deportation begins, and then orders the National Guard for protesters. And you know what? There are millions of Americans who are jumping up and down in And if they had it to do it again, they will vote for him again, including some of those on social medias who are acting all appalled. And I can't believe that he's doing this. I didn't vote for these things. They did. They knew.

They wanted it to happen. And the assumption was it was going to happen to those other people and not them. So those are the people who need to be held accountable because they still support this, even though we're seeing very grossly unconstitutional things happening, such as like that, I see. leaked memo that I think NBC news reported on where ISIS changing their policy is saying they have the right to enter into people's homes without a warrant. Guess what?

There's a whole bill of rights saying that you cannot do stuff like that. There's a second amendment. There's a First Amendment. There's a Fourth Amendment. There's all sorts of amendments that doesn't allow for those warrantless just entering homes because you feel

like it. Because somebody in the White House decided, okay, this is a great idea. What we're seeing, the policy that we're seeing under this regime, quite frankly, is a white supremacist wet dream. That's what's happening here. Ultimately, this isn't going to last forever, and there will be future prosecutions over what people are doing in this administration. And so those folks really need to pay attention and understand if you're doing things that go against the Constitution, at some point, there's going to be justice that's going to happen in response to the very egregious things that this

administration is doing. And when Cooney, it hasn't been a year. It's been a year and a day. And I think we felt all, all that year plus a day that this man has been back in the White House. Rebecca Crothers, president and CEO of Fair Election Center. Dr. Kornhill, Dr. educator and content creator from Atlanta and Mancuni sent, CEO and co-founder of Politicking. We want to thank you guys for your insight tonight and joining us here on Robert Martin Unfiltered. And that does it for us tonight, folks. We want to thank you at home for watching and supporting Roland. And he will be back tomorrow.

So we hope that you will join us then. Until then, have a good night. May 2nd, country's biggest stars will be an honor. Boston, Texas at our 2026 I-Hard Country Festival presented by Capital One, C. Cain Brown, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, Shaboozy, Dylan Scott, Russell Dickerson, Gretchen Wilson, Chase Matthew, Lauren Elena. Tickets are on sale now. Get yours before they sell out at Ticketmaster.com. The more you listen to your kids, the closer you'll be.

So we asked kids, what do you want your parents to hear? I feel sometimes that I'm not listened to. I would just want you to listen to me more often and evaluate situations with me and lead me towards success. Listening is a form of love. Find resources to help you support your kids

and their emotional well-being at soundedouttogether.org. That's sounded outtogether.org. Brought to you by the Ad Council and Pivotal. And the winner of the IHeart Podcast Award is, you can decide who takes home the 26 IHard Podcast Awards Podcast of the year by voting at IHeartPodcastawards.com now through February 22nd.

See all the nominees and place your vote at IHeartPodcastawards.com. Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free trial at audible.com. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.