The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Angela Rye On Pressing Federal Govt, Trump's Shrinking Fan Base, Uncovering The Epstein Files + More

Episode Date: July 17, 2025

Today on The Breakfast Club, Angela Rye On Pressing Federal Govt, Trump's Shrinking Fan Base, Uncovering The Epstein Files. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Morning everybody is DJ envy just hilarious Charlemagne the guy we are the breakfast club We got a special guest in the building and friend to the room. Yes, indeed ladies and gentlemen, Miss Angela Right. Hi friend. Hi daughter. Hi brother. How are you? I am good I am you know making it you're living in the apocalypse, but yes. No we not. Okay. These are the best of times. Oh, or the worst of times. Optimism, optimism. Okay, praise the Lord everybody.

I'm glad you are here. Your brother has been doing some disrespectful stuff. What have I been doing? Oh, praising. He has called ICE on me three times to try to get me shipped out of this country. What's the problem? You did not do that.

What's the problem? You didn't do that. I don't see the problem here. That's not funny? You did not do that. What's the problem? You didn't do that. I don't see the problem here. That's not funny. You didn't do that. I don't see the problem here. And then Angela, he'd be rioting and just talking crap against the Democratic Party every day. Yeah, well. That's true. That's factual. I know that that's true. And there are many- Angela Ryan doesn't too. Y'all listen to Native Land Bar guys. There are many in the Democratic Party who deserve to be trash-talked. Not as bad as these Republicans,

since they tryin' to take us back to 1863. I can argue that the Dems are the reason we're here. But that's a whole other. You could argue that, but that would be silly of you, since 75 million people voted for this man. Yes, but why did they do that? Well, allegedly. But why did they do that?

What do you mean why? They did that because. Because some of them are bigots, because some of them did that because there's some of them are bigots, because some of them are fascists, because some of them are sexist, because some of them are homophobic, because some of them got issues and some of the others that were disenchanted before we get to that. OK. Congratulations on your state of the people tour. You know what? I am.

I would love to take the congratulations, but I got tell you, the tour was so eye-opening. We are really hurting, like as the people were really, really hurting. It's something, and I'll say it publicly to you, because we talked about it privately, I used to get so mad at Leonard, for all the reasons, but at Leonard for the times where he was saying to me, I was out of touch.

I would get so upset. And I'm like, where are you, Ty? I spent my whole career helping to craft legislation for our people, doing jobs, all of these things. But the truth is, even if you're out of touch for a week, for two weeks, for a month, you can get really out of touch. And you're thinking, I'm helping people because I'm working on behalf of their best interests,

but how do you work on behalf of somebody's best interests if you're not in community and talking with them? I don't know how I feel about you bringing private conversations to the radio. You do it all the time. What are you talking about? Can't I tell you about it? First of all, can you not, for two seconds, do what you do?

So my point is saying this. Because for two seconds, that'd be yourself. Yes. Just be quiet. Be quiet for two seconds. OK you do. So my point is saying this. Yes, just be quiet. Be quiet for two seconds. But I was going to say that it was humbling. You know, like to go to a church and meet this woman with two young kids, like under three, who made a determination to come sit with us

and get her light bill paid and didn't know if the car would make it to work. She had to get a jump at the church. You know, another woman who was a teacher in Atlanta who said that she goes to teach our students every day and then goes to sleep in her car at night. Yeah, I mean, there's so many stories like that. We had a woman who volunteered with us in Newark

who lives in a red roof inn and every day she is bringing groceries back home to the seniors who live in that facility but she's struggling too. So we met these people, we were able to meet their needs but you all know, you go see something like that, you're ready to empty your bank account. You emptying your bank account,

maybe y'alls will last a little longer than mine. We talking maybe about two or three weeks worth of relief. For these people, we have to have structural, systemic change in order for folks to really see a difference. And instead of people working to meet the most basic needs and relieve our folks, they're creating cuts that are gonna hurt them even worse.

That's gonna be on all of us because what I refuse to do is say, well, we're gonna wait until people who are like-minded and more compassionate get in charge. No, that doesn't put food on their table tomorrow. So I've been like, what do we do to solve immediate needs to make sure that our folks know they can always turn to community and be okay? That is the black way.

You know, we always look out for each other and I don't wanna lose sight of that with all of this crazy infighting that's happening. So that's what the State of the People Tour was? What was it for people who don't know? Yeah, so it was a tour where we focused first on relief and then we also ensured that we had opportunities to listen to the community. What are you saying?

What are you feeling? How are you? How is your life? What can we do to make it better? And then we also emphasized policy by creating a platform for our Black Papers Policy Initiative. Y'all know normally when it's a policy paper, it's called a white paper.

We have black papers. So black papers was more than 700 pages of policy, now 34 papers. Everything from healthcare to reparations, to education, early childhood education, everything you could think of. We tried to cover mass incarceration, really ensuring that our folks know

that they don't just have a Project 2025 and we're sitting idly by. We have black experts from all over the country on all of these varying subject matters that can contribute to making your life better. And then finally, we did it in coalition with more than 200 local and national organizations. Black folks like this have not come together

since the Bloods and the Crips came together to do that little mix tape back in the 90s. So it was very good, very, very good. What, what, what, okay. I was gonna say, so, you know, what can people do, right? So usually, you know, fast food restaurants back in the day was the way to get cheap food and to feed a family, right? But if you go to any of these fast food restaurants,

a meal now is $15, $17, so it's expensive. Groceries are expensive, so you're talking about the lady that was helping to feed other people in the Red Roof, and she probably couldn't feed herself. So what do you tell people to do at this specific time? What could they do? What can they do? What's the change at?

Where's the change coming from? I think the change comes from within. And by that that I'm not talking about find your food inside yourself I'm talking about us right like we have to change our mentality. We have more than enough I was waking up my prayer every morning during the tour was God. I thank you We have everything we need and that is the truth So if we embody that and we say okay I have all of these extra clothes that I don't need. Can I give these away to somebody in need? We have school supplies.

I had $20 to give towards the child's school supplies. There are all of the things that we have that we can make use of. I think that is what's most important. Policy only works when you prioritize the needs of the people, when you're compassionate towards people regardless of their immigration status, regardless of where they live, regardless of if you agree with them or not, doing the right thing is, there's always the right time to do the right thing,

to paraphrase Dr. King. And so I think some of that is about what can we do differently? So I would ask people who wanted to join the tour, what do you feel called to do? And asking people to do exactly that. I think that's how we meet our most basic needs. I shouldn't do everything.

I'm better at rapid response than long-term planning. I think some of that is undiagnosed ADD, some of that is just what interests me. So I should be on the rapid response squad, but somebody else should be on the, now what do we do to build out the long-term solution? So David Johns, who I know you all know has been on Breakfast Club,

he ran our Black Papers Policy Initiative. I was like, I know we need to do this, I'm too unfocused to do it, but he had 34 papers done in a month, working with some of the best black experts around, so. What was the biggest thing you learned from the State of the People Marathon? Like one, if you had to take one takeaway, this is-

The marathon or the tour? Well, the tour, I'm sorry, the tour. So the tour was 12 cities, and then we did a national assembly in Baltimore. I think the most important thing that I learned is that we can do anything when we put our minds to it. When we decide that our unity means more than anything else, we're just unstoppable. We are really unmatched.

So I learned that. I learned the importance of listening. I listened a lot more than I talked on that tour. And I think that that was abundantly important because I don't know how you change people's circumstances when you don't know what they are. Yeah, yeah. What would you say to people who say,

I hear you Angela Rye, but we've always felt like that. Like where you are now, we've been there. Oh, they said that. You know, like, so there are two things that came out of the tour too. Some folks were like, well, we've been here. Now y'all care because we're all about to be in the same situation. I was like, so there are two things that came out of the two or two. Some folks were like, well, we've been here, now y'all care, because we're all about to be in the same situation.

I was like, you're right, it's sad, but that's true. In so many ways, that's true. Because now more people's healthcare is gonna be cut, so now everybody feels like the folks who are worried about what may happen with Medicaid or Medicare or anything in between. So that is absolutely the truth. Is it right?

Absolutely not. But that is the truth. Is it right? Absolutely not. But that is the truth. I think some of us, and I'll speak for myself, when you see somebody in need and you know you can't help right away, it's easier for me to try to turn a blind eye. That's not the right thing to do. But I'm like, if I don't know how to fix it, I'm a natural fixer. I'm like, shoot, I can't do anything about it.

So I'm going to try to pretend like I'm not here. That's not the right solution. I think the other thing that came up a lot, especially from folks in the South, was, well, y'all worried about Trump, but we've been having people just like him as our governors, local elected officials, and that kind of thing.

I would offer to them, and I did on the tour, this key distinction. There was a time where you could go to petition the federal government to protect you in the face of your mini Trump, Ron DeSantis or Greg Abbott or whoever it is. Now the federal government look just like them, look just like the January Sixers, the insurrectionists. So who do you go petition?

Who you gonna ask, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters. No you not. But the crazy part is- I do have on a Ghostbuster. It's a jumpsuit. It Yes, it's a jumpsuit. Remember the jumpsuit? Yeah, I do, I do. I do with that, but some people have felt like that

about the federal government forever. They've always felt like the federal government has not shown up for them. And I think for so long. But I think the feeling like it and the factual reality is different. But if your factual reality has been poverty and your factual reality is being poor

and disenfranchised regardless of who's in office, why should you ever have any faith in government? I think that it is a challenging thing to have faith in. And I think that the only way that we can change it, and we've seen this recently, is by applying pressure. Historically, we've seen it by applying pressure, things change. I think it is foolish for us to believe that anybody is always on our side. Like what you should expect from the federal government is that they need to hear about your

issue. Like let's look at it like this way. Let's say that you live in an apartment building. Your apartment building has a property manager and it has a landlord. So let's treat the property manager like it's an elected official, like a member of Congress and your landlord is the president. treat the property manager like it's an elected official, like a member of Congress and your landlord is the president. If you have a leak in your apartment, you ain't about to be like, well, I hope they figure it out because it's their obligation to figure out,

I pay rent. You're not doing that. You gonna send in the complaint, you gonna knock on the door, you gonna go find them. That's the same way we should treat the feds. Like they are paid to do a job, we pay them, but we're not gonna let them rest until they meet our need.

That's the same way we would do. If we would do that about a leaky faucet, how much more if our kids can't eat? How much more if they can't be educated? How much more if they're taking our history out of classrooms? That's a good analogy, I'm gonna use that again. I think people feel like they do complain so much

and they're not gonna be heard. Nothing happens. So who are they complaining to? I'm sure they're complaining to their property managers, their councilmen, their local people. And a lot of times, their local people, I'm sure they feel like don't do anything. Well, and I think that's what's hard for me.

And I'm gonna say, I exist in this privileged bubble, so y'all burst it if I'm wrong. To me, most often when I tell people to call their member of Congress, if something is going wrong, or show up to a council meeting. They're like, how? When is it?

Where is it? So if there are those who are complaining often, I think it's a select few. And what happens is, I don't know if y'all have this, you guys all do public appearances, you know that one person that come to every show. So that when what happens is for the elected official, they're like, oh, here goes Susie again and she just gonna be, right? And so they get tuned out, but if Suzy and all the fifth grade class comes, and all of the seniors come,

now it's a different type of experience. We are a people powered democracy, at least we should be, and that means more people have to show up. If it's the same two or three, I don't know that it's moving the needle. You said something, and I think it tends to be a problem. Okay. When somebody asks questions, right? When somebody says, I don't know that it's moving the needle you said something and I think it tends to be a problem Okay, somebody asked questions, right when somebody says I don't know how you have the elitist as Democrats who call people stupid And you don't know that to me. I

Don't do that But I'm just saying that is part of the problem when people ask questions You'll have these people that get on these high horses and tell them how stupid they are You should know when these things you should know you're like, yeah, you'll have these people that get on these high horses and tell them how stupid they are for not knowing these things. You should know your lecture, yeah. You should know what that meeting is. Why don't you just teach them? Why don't you just educate them?

I do feel like I think people should know because I think it's part of our responsibility. I don't think that they should be scolded. Yeah, I don't think they should be scolded or we should be scolded when we don't know things because it's hard already to say I don't know. So I don't think we should make people feel bad, but I do think.

Some of these people are fat, and I don't say to them, you don't know the gym. Oh my God. What is what you saying? How do you say they are starving? No, I'm talking about the people that be scolding, the elitist Democrats and the scolding folks. Yes.

What do you think about President Obama critiquing Democrats and saying they need to toughen up and take action? Don't it feel like too little too late? don't feel like he should have been saying that What's that? Okay. I heard that he said this but was the context for him saying this just period Just right now that a fundraiser in a Jersey and I guess he was just talking about you know What they should be doing in the future. I guess my issue right now Let me get the exact quote. No, it's okay

my issue right now with President Obama and Michelle Obama is they like out here doing Tiger Woods documentaries and they have this show, which I'm not mad at, he actually was on her podcast talking about how young men don't feel seen in this new space and I think that that's true. However, if you can go on the podcast to talk about how young men don't feel seen, can you also talk about these snap cuts? Can you also

talk about the Medicare and Medicaid cuts? And I think for me, if you all were saying that we were about to or this country was about to elect a fascist, why are you not treating fascism as it's just that critical? So I'm confused about why there is an expectation of Democrats or any elected official to do something different when they're doing exactly what you're doing, right? So if you're treating all of this as normal, as normal times, we're gonna go to Martha's Vineyard

and hang out and we, like nothing is different. Oh, Kiki at the funeral. Yeah, like they don't know what to do either. So we have these high expectations and this is also why we started to say to the people of our elected officials, like, okay, you gotta meet the moment, you gotta meet the moment, you gotta meet the moment.

Everybody, even if they don't say it out loud, is saying how. How do you meet this particular moment? And this moment is changing massively every single day, so how I meet it is gonna continue to change. We're not giving them the grace to figure it out on the fly, but we're giving ourselves that grace.

And for me, I say, you know what? I'm demanding something of them that I'm not demanding of myself. If it is the last in evil days, as the mothers used to say in church for years and years and years, I really think it might be the last in evil days now. What am I gonna do different?

And if I'm not doing anything different, then I'm part of the problem. So. That actually gives me hope. That's why I was like, cause my grandmother was saying the same thing in the 80s. It's the last time, it's the worst I ever seen it, that damn Reagan blah, blah, blah. So it's just like, I don't know if we just, you know,

going through what they went through and we made it through before, I don't know. Let me just tell you, the only caution I would offer us, and you're right, we have always said that, and folks have always explained why it has been. We have gotten progressively worse over the last decade at least. And what I would say is, if we think

that this isn't the worst it's been, can you tell me why our civil and human rights have been rolled back 60 plus years in a matter of six months, right? Like that is, I know, and some people are like, well, I don't need civil rights, just give me my paper main, whatever. I don't know how you think you gonna keep your paper main

and you can't, you don't have any protections. The ways in which we're watching human rights abuses come forth in this country vis-a-vis these deportation processes, ICE detention holding facilities where people don't even have deportation orders and watching folks who look like us saying, I don't care, that's not my problem, until you didn't realize that your little cousin,

daddy was Haitian, you know, until you didn't realize that your favorite Jamaican spot is about to close down. I keep trying not to do this in the terms of what people are giving us, but just through our humanity. You are gonna be in a position really soon where somebody you did not know was that close to you is hit. And I don't understand why even needs that.

What's just about our humanity? Forget what should be given to someone who is a citizen here. What about humanity? And that is the someone who is a citizen here. What about humanity? And that is the thing that is really troubling me. How do you feel about Democrats who all of a sudden have the courage and a procurring parentheses to tell the truth?

Like when you see books like The Original Sin or, you know, Corinne Jean-Pierre saying she's an independent now. Like why all of a sudden do they have the courage to speak truth to power, but they didn't do that two or three years ago? I'm trying to figure out why you think it's all of a sudden. Like I think everybody- It definitely is all of a sudden. No, I courage to speak truth to power, but they didn't do that two or three years ago? I'm trying to figure out why you think it's all of a sudden. Like I think everybody. It definitely is all of a sudden.

No, I think. Oh, Angela Rye. Okay, so do I have my own opinion? Yes. Thanks. So I just feel like if somebody. Okay, let me answer this question. Hold on. Hold on. But what was the original said about by Jake Tapper? It literally was about the cover up that Democrats did.

But I don't know if Jake Tapper identifies as a Democrat. He's on CNN every day talking to the left. And talking to the right. OK. I don't know if Jake Tapper is a Democrat, brother. I really don't. OK, so what do you think about them? Just all of a sudden having the courage to tell us?

I don't know that it's all of a sudden. I think they've been doing these, you know, expose books for years. Jakes is the latest of those. I think that Kareem had. Well, why tell us after it's too late? expose books for years. Jakes is the latest of those. I think that Kareem had. Why tell us after it's too late, why didn't they say these things two years ago

when they could have alerted the American people and the American people could have been like, you know what, something is wrong with him. Maybe y'all should run a different candidate than probably wouldn't be in this situation. I don't know if I believe that. I think that the lie was sexier to people than the truth and they went with the lie.

And they knew Donald Trump. Donald Trump. Donald Trump on Epstein. Donald Trump on. Hold on, so the lie wasn't Joe Biden is okay? Remember when N.B. was up there saying that Joe Biden had dementia and you and Tiffany got mad at him

and was like, don't say that. Well, and I told you guys why. I told you, I don't think it's funny. I told y'all why my grandmother literally was suffering from dementia and he still doesn't have dementia. He does not have dementia. I didn't think it's funny. I told y'all why my grandmother literally was suffering from dementia and he still doesn't have dementia He does not have dementia Showing early signs of dementia We don't know

According to my own eyes we do know I said early signs of the message just like his mom cuz mom had to mention I said he is showing early signs of dementia something you just't right. You just knew something was wrong and we knew he couldn't win in November. All I'm telling you is I was personally offended because my grandmother had dementia. So y'all got on my nerves that day because of that. Now, as for what Corrine is doing and Jake, invite them on the show and ask them.

I don't know, but what I can tell you is Corrine had her own experience of being regularly challenged, her brilliance being challenged by white men who she was supposed to be sharing on Facebook. Yeah, she had to lie for that white man all the time, every day. I'm not talking about that, Leonard. I'm talking about staff people as well.

And so when you are being challenged by your peers rather than covered because they don't want you in a role, that may jade you just a little bit. You might be a little frustrated by that. So I mean, I get it. You know, I feel like I've always been independent minded and voting down a Democratic ticket because that's where my values are more aligned. Are they perfectly aligned?

No, no, that's never been the case. You ain't never seen me come up here talking about the Democratic party's the only way. That's not it. But I'm saying, I know what for sure is not the way. I know what for sure is a dead end, quite literally, is on the other side of the aisle. So if we knew that, how come we didn't?

Who is we? The people. Because clearly, like, it was like 70% of people felt like they didn't want a Biden-Trump rematch. 56% of Democrats said that Joe Biden should not be a... I think we all agree. I think we all agree with that.

He told us initially he was gonna do one term and that was the expectation that I think many of us had. So I never was like, oh please run Joe Biden again. I think we, run the tape back. Yes, I'm on here saying that. I'm sorry, I just wanted to say one thing. Let me ask you a question, right? You fought for Marilyn Mosby to get pardoned.

Joe Biden didn't pardon him. Pardon his whole family. Pardon his whole family. Pardon his whole family. Right. Donald Trump pardons anybody that's cool with him all the time. Yeah. How did that make you feel? Did that make you feel like, like what Obama said, Democrats are cowards?

Here's a lady that did nothing wrong, who does the right thing. You guys fought to get her pardon. You fought for the Democrats. You, you rode for Joe Biden. You fought for the Democrats. You rode for Joe Biden. You rode for Kamala Harris. This is very loosely, fought for the Democrats and rode for Joe Biden. You did. You wanted to get back in office. I wanted Kamala Harris to be our president.

Before she was announced. I was going to go with the nominee. But I think there's a difference and I am going to fight for my friend, my sister. Pardon her. And accept this man. And then you see him pardon his whole family who we said he wasn't gonna pardon. You see Trump pardon everybody first thing out, he just came with a stage and pardon everybody.

How does that make you feel about Democrats? Because it makes me feel like Democrats don't ride for their own. But then you look at Trump, he rides for his core. He rides for his base. So it's like damn. Well, and I think the challenge that I will offer us to consider, and I will respond to the question, but I just want us to contextualize this. He is very crooked. He is violating the emoluments clause every single day. He is taking gifts from foreign

governments to be persuaded to be conflicted out of basic decisions. So I take issue with striving to be more like somebody who's very crooked, who had 88 indictments, but was 91, they dropped a few. Right, I have issues with trying to be more like corruption. I don't want an elected official to be corrupt. I will say it pissed me off that Joe Biden and the team that was advising him

would not stand for this black woman. I know of black people who worked in the White House Counsel's Office who were fighting for Maryland and they were not heard. So it was devastating. What I will say is very vindicating though for her at least is in her appeals case that was just recently heard, her mortgage fraud conviction was overturned.

I've seen that. They held the perjury up though. Which I think is bizarre too, because I felt like the perjury was the weakest link. But I will say it is so vindicating. She gets to keep the property that the black judge who was appointed by Joe Biden told her she could not have and needed to be forfeit.

She doesn't have to give up her property, which I think is really important for her and her girls. So I heard you mention the Epstein files earlier. Does this do you think like this can really really hurt Trump because they don't really seem to care about it? Yeah, I don't he doesn't seem to care about much nothing. I would say that it could hurt him, especially if the fringe of his base, the folks who ascribe to all of the conspiracy theories continue to write it out and he doesn't respond in kind with actually unsealing the files

or appointing a special prosecutor. I think it's bizarre that this man who he was friends with at least for two decades was on the private jet, now he's not gonna release the files? Well, what's in there? Donald Trump, why you don't wanna share it? I feel like Democrats should never stop talking about the Epstein files.

Yeah, I agree with you. Because I feel like this is their transgender in women's sports issue. Yeah, I agree with that. I think that they should talk about it because it also creates that same type of ambiguity, the cloud of corruption. He does what he wants to do whenever it's beneficial to him and he doesn't really care

about you. I think that that is the most important thing they could say because there are a lot of people who were Trump supporters who are poor, broke, busted and disgusted, still down on their luck, still don't have anything to show for his election. So if you still don't have anything to show for it, but you see this man now has a multi-million dollar jet, his family is doing really well, his cryptocurrency soared

on the other side of the inauguration, what do you have to show for it? How did you benefit? Because if you don't have anything to show for it, well what does your vote really do? And it builds a bridge between Democrats and MAGA. Ever since Trump won, they've been trying to do that, right? Whether it's Gavin Newsom with his corny ass podcast, right? But I'm just saying, they're always trying to build support, build a bridge with MAGA.

Gavin tapped right into his whiteness, didn't he? He tapped right into his whiteness. In a very inauthentic way. But you know, this is an actual authentic way. Yeah. Because this is something that... Well, it's the truth. I think that there's nothing better than the truth. You always talk about how important it is to tell the truth. I think that too.

So we shouldn't be pontificating on conspiracy theories. We should be asking real questions. We don't know what's in the files. It's not a conspiracy theory anymore. It's a cover-up. Yeah, that's why I was going to say, we don't know what's in the files, but you do, so release them. Make sure we all know. Do you think the files haven't been released because if they do it'll be mutually assured destruction? Meaning that, you know,

high profile individuals from both parties are definitely probably in the files. Allies. Definitely probably. Absolutely. Allies, donors. Yeah, I really don't know what's in the files. Pirating diplomats. I don't know what's in the files. And based on what I just was saying, I don't want to deepen more into the conspiracy parts of it. What I would rather say is if your people ask for it, this is what you promise your people.

Make good on your promise. Be true to what you said on paper, man. And if I'm a Democrat and I'm, you know... Kelly Harnett spent over a decade in prison for a murder she says she didn't commit. I'm 100% innocent. While behind bars, she learned the law from scratch. Because oh God, Harnett, jailhouse lawyer. And as she fought for herself, she also became a lifeline for the women locked up alongside her.

It's supposed to have been faith in God, but I had nothing but faith in her. So many of these women had lived the same stories. I said, were you a victim of domestic violence? And she was like, yeah. But maybe Kelly could change the ending. I said, how many people have gotten other incarcerated individuals out of here. I'm going to be the first one to do that.

This is the story of Kelly Harnett, a woman who spent 12 years fighting not just for her own freedom, but her girlfriends too. I think I have a mission from God to save souls by getting people out of prison. The Girlfriends, Jailhouse Lawyer. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Kennedy drove a car into a pond. And left a woman behind to drown. There's a famous headline, I think, in the New York Daily News. It's, Teddy escapes, blonde drowns.

And in a strange way, right, that sort of tells you. The story really became about Ted's political future, Ted's political hopes. Will Ted become president? Chappaquiddick is a story of a tragic death and how the Kennedy machine took control. And he's not the only Kennedy to survive a scandal. The Kennedys have lived through disgrace,

affairs, violence, you name it. So is there a curse? Every week we go behind the headlines and beyond the drama of America's royal family. Listen to United States of Kennedy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

American history is full of wise people. What women said something like, you know, 99.99% of war is diarrhea and 1% is glory. Those founding fathers were gossipy AF and they love to cut each other down. I'm Bob Crawford, host of American History Hotline, the show where you send us your questions about American history and I find the answers, including the nuggets of wisdom our history has to offer. Hamilton pauses and then he says, the greatest man that ever lived was Julius Caesar. And Jefferson writes in his diary, this proves that Hamilton is for a dictator based on corruption.

My favorite line was what Neil Armstrong said, it would have been harder to fake it than to do it. Listen to American History Hotline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay, and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts.

Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers, and more to explore the stories that shape us, on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick, deep-diving book talk theories, and obsessing over book-to-screen casts for years. And now, I get to talk to the people making the magic. So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character or cried at the last chapter or passed a book to a friend saying,

you have to read this, this podcast is for you. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Constantly staying on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Constantly staying on the Epstein files, even if I know that there are people from my party in there, they're probably people you need to throw under the bus anyway. Because I feel like whoever is the future of the Democratic Party has to throw the old regime under the bus. Especially if the old regime was engaging in child abuse. I mean, you know, like there's no, we should, that should be a bipartisan or really a non-partisan

thing. There are some things that we should not allow or hold to be acceptable. We shouldn't be covering up anything for anybody. I wanted to ask you, how do you feel about folks who may have supported Trump having buyer's remorse now and speaking out against it? Like is it the time to say I told you so or is it the time the coalition built? You want my higher self answer?

I want you just to answer it. Well I have two answers. My first answer is something I should say on radio. Forget y'all, I'll say it that way. Forget y'all. Like we tried to tell you over and over again like you are so foul. My higher self answer is I think that People make mistakes and some mistakes they make are extraordinarily costly

And so I would really want to understand how they got there and what do we do as a people to ensure that folks don't? Get there ever again No, I don't Lenn, me and you disagree on this. I think there are multiple pathways to get to this dummy. Well I think for so long we've tried to tell people why they should care about politics or why they should vote a certain way but we don't talk to them to see why they voted that way. For me when Donald Trump won it wasn't a surprise. We were together when he won. It wasn't a surprise, because I've been having these conversations. I can see where Democrats were missing the mark

and where he was speaking to dinner table issues. Now, whether he wanted to do those things or not. But speaking to dinner table issues and knowing someone from their past four years in office is a liar and is not gonna look out for the least of these. Not when that last year, and we've had this conversation a million times. Not when that last year, then PPP had this conversation a million times, not when that last year,

them PPP checks was flying, and them stimulus checks was flying. And now these PPP people's in jail. But, yeah, sure. But people will forget what you did, they'll forget what you said, they'll never forget how you made them feel. Well, I wonder how they feel behind bars.

Like, I think I think- All of them ain't behind bars. Some of them sitting in them trailers in South Carolina, they're living the life. They still got that Chrysler 300. Some of them living their best life right now still. Waiting for another STEMI. And you know what they do every now and then?

When the Doge Cuts was happening and everybody was getting mad, we gonna give everybody $5,000. Y'all just relax. Everybody was like, yeah, that's what we voted for. And then where is that $5,000 now? I guess all I'm saying is, you know, at some point, people have to understand how the government works.

Donald Trump didn't write a blank check. He did sign the checks. Smart. I agree. It was smart. But in all of that, what I hope his supporters, and even people who are indifferent, I hope what they see over time is that this man will do anything to promote himself.

And that is all that he's good at. He's not good at keeping his promises, he's not good at telling the truth, he's not good at people first policy, he's good at promoting himself, that's it. Well that's why the F-theen list is good and why Democrats should stay on it because this is the one time I've seen people

who voted for Trump and the MAGA base be like, yo they lying to us. So yeah, so not only is he lying about this, look what else he lying about. All the other things, I think that's right. Go be, yeah, so not only is he lying about this, look what else he's lying about. Absolutely. I think that's right. Well, go be a consultant. You good at this.

That's good. I wanted to ask about what was your thoughts on everything that happened with the Essence Festival, right? She was there. Yeah, I was there. Oh, okay, so a lot of people upset that, you know, that Target was still a sponsor and people were boycotting. What was your thoughts on all that?

I still say boycott Target, number one. It's Target fast. If I see black people with a Target bag, Jess, I'm mugging y'all. All right, yeah, Lauren got one. She got her makeup in one right now. She did? I thought she told me you got that suit

you got on from Target. You know I didn't get this from Target. You're such a clown. You know I didn't get this from Target. I would tell you if I did. I did support when my girl Kalana was in there, but I'm telling you right now, they better get it together.

I think that this is a really dope opportunity for black people to show we don't just support black business in a boycott. We do that because it's the right thing and our stuff is better anyway. So I just, yes, I'm irritated that they were a sponsor, but it's a multi-year deal, so I understand that. I thought it was hilarious that they tried to make

their activation pink so people didn't know that it was like a red and white target. It was like, if we really in red and white this pink let's make it pink people couldn't see the logo till they walked all the way in. I want to shout out Alfonso David has become a brother to me from global black economic forum he did a tremendous job on his stage. There were a lot of really good things about essence fest and the videos that I was saying I was telling the night I was like I didn't Essence Fest. And the videos that I was saying, I was telling Lynard, I was like, I didn't see any of this stuff

the way that they're portraying it. So I'm just not sure. I will say I did not go to any of the concerts. So I don't know what that experience was like. I wanted to go and my day that I could go, I just was not feeling well. So I was- Is it worth it taking the money to create Black Joy?

Because that's where we are right now, right? Like we're in a space right now where we need to empower each other in various ways. And creating spaces of black joy is one of those things. So taking that money to create black joy, what you think? I think, I'm not, I just want us to divorce ourselves from Target until they meet the demands that Jamal and Tamika and Nina have been very clear about.

The demands are great, including standing up opportunities for HBCU students at business schools at HBCU. There's no, you have retail shops at TWIs, the traditionally white institutions. You can do that same thing at HBCUs. You can appoint another black board member. You can have a black CEO, your CEO about to step down. You can put black people in position to succeed as contractors, as vendors,

and as employees at Target. So I don't understand what the issue is. If they can't meet those most basic needs, they don't need our money. But yes- Do we need their money though? Is what I'm saying. I understand what you're saying. I think that there still have to be parameters. If you look historically at some of the nation's civil rights orgs, some of our other folks who have, there are influencers who y'all know who take money from some of these large corporations to distract us from our demands of these corporations, regularly.

I would name drop, but I'ma be nice. I think you should. No, I won't. But I think that what's important is that we are all aligned. So if we're gonna take the money, we know that these are the accountability metrics. You don't get a blanket endorsement from us. We're saying, yeah, here's this partnership, but we're not doing any more. Right now, some of our black

denominations in the churches have taken money, but they know that they see a pastor leading this charge. Don't do that. It undermines us. That is literally how black people got in slavery. Oh, I'm gonna take this $5 for my family, but I'm gonna send y'all over there. Don't do that. That is so harmful. I, one thing people say, and you know we've had this conversation

with Jamal and Tamika as well. What about all the other companies who rolled back DEI initiatives? Yeah. The Metas, we on Facebook and we on Instagram every day. You know, the Wal-Mart, the Amazon. You getting the Amazon packages every day?

A lot of churches are boycotting Amazon too. A lot of entities are boycotting Amazon too. I don't believe them. I gotta go to their house and see if they got packages on their phones. I'm sure they got some. I wanna say I have cut way back. All I have is my Just Water on automatic subscription,

but I have cut way back. I did have an Amazon problem. I have since been delivered. Like everyday ordering, like that's how I was too. But what do you say to those people who feel like, well y'all ain't boycotting nothing else? You know what, I feel like it's hard to boycott everything at once.

Especially if you live in communities where there are not that many options to shop and all that, it's hard. So I think to make an example out of one so that other organizations, other corporations fall in line is also a smart tactic. I think Target was personal for us. Like I don't know about you Jess,

but I would just be up and down the aisles. Like I would go in, I don't wanna say Starbucks, in Target for one thing and leave with a cart full of $500 worth of stuff I did not need. So I think that it was personal. It was like you mess with our sanctuary? Like why? That's how I felt about Walmart. I used to it was personal. It was like, you mess with our sanctuary? Like why? That's how I felt about Walmart.

I used to go to Target for t-shirts, but Walmart was where I, because I grew up in Los Conos, that was the place that was open 24 hours. When we were kids, we would go wander around Walmart. That's both of them for me, Walmart and Target. It's just Target got, they had better selections and stuff. He was a little, he felt a little bougie when he was in there.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was the thing. And also sometimes you go around there and you just wander because you high. Were you high? No. He's trying to say me, a clam. Your advice.

You know what I will say, I am grateful for what cannabis is doing for my mother right now. She's going through chemo and she, my dad has been very eager to make sure that she had an edible. Now, the first edible that my mom had was not for her because she was sitting on the floor, facing a wall, and the TV was behind her.

I said, what you doing? Damn, tell Eddie I need some of those. I need that brand. I need that one. That's exactly how I like to feel. But she has one that has been recommended by the nutritionist now and she's doing much better. So her appetite is good and she's so proud of my mom.

She's more excited. Yeah, I'm proud of that because your mom is dealing with cancer. Yes. And so the nutritionist recommended her are edible for what exactly? So I think it's a, I don't remember if it's one to one or something, CBD and THC.

Yeah, it's CBN. CBN and THC, yes, to help with, yeah, yeah. Okay, so she's on that and it's helping her to eat a lot better. The other one just had my mom zooted. Like zooted. She was gone. I was like, mom, what you doing? She's like, sitting here, I said, I see that.

Did you like to get up? No, she was stuck. Did you ask your mom which one she liked better? She might like that. No, no, no, but if she's not eating, because she's literally like, I can't even move, yeah, I know. I got you. What if she was enjoying what she was seeing on the wall? That's what I'm saying.

If she's enjoying what she's seeing on the wall, but she's still 20 pounds lighter. She's already tiny. I need her to eat. Not to get her stuck looking at the wall. What advice, this is my last question, what advice do you have for people listening who just like don't even care about, they've given up all hope for the government. They don't have any faith anymore. And what would you say to them?

What I would say is I know this is a government that was built on our backs and never for us. And I think that it's important to decide whether you will reform it and shift what it was designed to do or whether you will reform it and shift what it was designed to do or whether you will overhaul it and do something different, regardless of what decision you make.

It's just most important to engage, you know, that we advocate for our collective best interests, that we show up to ensure that our voices are heard, that we're seen, that our people can't be ignored. And I think some of the best ways we can do that right now is just showing up together collectively and making a difference for ourselves. I think we could still build structures

outside of the government that serve our most basic needs, but I absolutely suggest that if you are a tax paying citizen, you have every right to demand something better of this government and it owes us for sure. I got a couple more questions. Do you think traditional media, because you're having great success with the Native Land podcast,

yourself, Andrew Gillum and Tiffany Cross, do you think traditional media still plays a role in shaping not just black political opinion, but political opinion overall, or have we fully moved into an era where non-traditional media is controlling all the narratives? I think that they have a role and they have an obligation and for the most part, traditional media is epically failing.

Like there's an epic fail. Like the fines that they're paying to settle cases with Donald Trump, the ways in which they're talking about some of the greatest crises right now is insane to me. I'm like, are we living in the same universe? Are you seeing what I'm seeing?

Are you hearing what these members of Congress are reporting back from visits or state elected officials? We're living in really rough times and for them to not be talking about it, or for me, I was upset when they were spending just as much time on Puff's trial as they were on the budget cuts. It was irresponsible.

So, you know, I think there is a huge obligation on behalf of media and yet I feel like they're failing. So, because they're failing, new media has opportunities to tell the truth and to make sure that people know that they exist and they're not, and folks aren't crazy sitting at home. Is that why you focus more on, I don't even like to call it non-traditional media no more

because I feel like that is media nowadays, but is that why you focus on, like I'm gonna do the State of the People Marathon on YouTube or I'm gonna do Native Land podcasts on YouTube and wherever podcasts are distributed, is that why? Because it's not like you can't go on television when you want to. Yeah, I think for me,

I'll say the last TV interview I did reminded me of what I did not miss about TV. When Kevin O'Leary touched you. Yeah, but I think it's more just, Somebody touched you? It's just, I'm a germaphobe and I think some, especially white men, no disrespect, Nick don't wash their hands.

He's Italian. He said he washed his hands too. He was like, first of all, first of all, you're not gonna defame me while I'm holding this camera. I didn't say you Nick, I did not say you Nick. I know you washed your hands. Nick, did she say that camera dirty as hell because of your hands?

Nick's hands look clean, but I'm just saying, it's a lot of people, you can tell even how they move about the world, they don't wash their hands. So I'm like, why did he touch me? So I'm a germaphobe and it was like, not even thought of. But I think that what it was- was kind of was a shushing too. Like it was. Yeah. I think sometimes they do that on TV is to like to minimize you in a way.

Yeah. No, he wasn't about to do that. But I just think that you have a conversation after that. Oh, no. No. About what? No, because you were just like, you don't touch me. Don't touch me. Don't put your. You don't know this. That's why I asked if he came back by and said I apologize.

No. But I think that he's so cocky that he wouldn't. But my point in bringing that up is, I think it reminded me of how unproductive those conversations are. I'm going on to argue with you, you got the people who are backing you in your corner, I got the people backing me in my corner, and there's a very small, convencible middle.

And I just think, you know, if we're not having conversations to really get to yes and be like, well, I can understand your perspective, what is it that you're saying? Like, people should have to be held to facts, right? People go on there and just lie, don't make up numbers. It's like, what's the point of this? This is reality TV, this isn't the news.

But that's why people like you need to be there though. And I think it takes a very special person to occupy that space and you've always been a very special person in that space, that's why you stand out. Thanks brother. Well I like doing the podcast and say the people wasn't just about content development,

it also was really about touching lives. So yeah. Do you really feel like Republicans cheated in 2024? You was all over Fox News this week. Yeah, Fox News really like our podcast. That is so nice. They should put the link in there so people could watch that tune into them.

I know what I said. I would just say I am very, you know, I feel like black women and the Holy Ghost are very close. And I feel like if something about my spidey senses are tingling, and they have been since the day after the election when we were all together, I don't know, something's not right.

There's the Elections Truth Alliance, I believe. ETA has a whole report on some of the inconsistencies in election results. There is another entity that I can't think of right now that also has a report on this. Clark County had some irregularities in Nevada. So I mean, I have questions. And then why did Donald Trump say in January

that Elon Musk knew how to work the local machines in Pennsylvania better than anybody and that's why he won by a landslide? Who says that if, you know? It's just just and maybe you guys could say he has dementia too I hope you don't without any you know proof but I think that you know he says some things that are jarring especially about how he won the election. We got some surprises for you I think they said too so yeah I'm not sure but I definitely don't feel good about it. It would make me feel better knowing that he stole it

rather than this many people would vote for this man. No, not really. I mean, cause you know, like we knew Biden had a record low approval rating and you know, you know, the VP, her approval rating was just as unpopular and they gave her a hundred days. And she did a great job in that, what was it? 106 days.

She did a great job in 106 days, just putting some energy into the campaign. But I don't just think she put energy into the campaign. She also did some things structurally that were very, very helpful. I think people got to see another side of Kamala Harris, and I still think that it was hard to break through. They wasted a lot of money on things

that weren't gonna help her candidacy, but made the consultants who worked for her campaign rich. And she dropped, she did drop the ball in very key moments, like on the view when she says she wouldn't do anything different from President Biden. I think, I think- When he had a record low approval rating, people wanted something different and you just didn't offer anything. I think, let me just say this, I hear your point and I also think that there are moments where your loyalty to somebody supersedes what you think will help you stand out.

And I can say firsthand, I know I'm a person like that, where I will be blindly loyal to the people I love, and it will cause me harm, it has. So I get why she did that. I do think it was a moment that she probably regrets, but I understand why she did it. She wouldn't be there if it weren't for him, right? Like he picked her as his VP.

We all believe she deserved it, but he did pick her. There were other options. And then when he stepped down, it was Joe Biden that made sure that Kamala Harris, because she was a part of the ticket, was the nominee. And I think that that's major. It's hard to turn your back on somebody that does something like that.

I get that. Well, I think what I to turn your back on somebody that does something like that. I get that. Well, I think what I hope everybody learns moving forward is America wants something different. When you look at the low approval ratings of Trump, when you look at the low approval rating of Republicans, you look at the low approval rating of the Democrats, America is ready for something different. America getting something different right now?

I wonder how much they like. There's a difference. Yeah, but that's a different. We back in 18, what year you think we in right now? We in 2025. Nah. Listen, we back in 18. What year you think we are right now? We in 2025 I'm just saying it's good went back all of this needs to be destroyed So what what can what can really be can be built? You think is gonna be on the receiving end of the destruction though?

I think that's the right people know but it's and it's gonna be mostly people who look like us Like that's the part that I think that we have to grapple with. It is so easy to say, and very privileged to say, we need to destroy this whole thing, tear it all down. So now they're defunding the Department of Education or at least have the clearance to do that. That's gonna hurt our kids, first and hardest. I know we like to say that.

It's true. And I don't disagree. I think it's just gonna hurt poor people but Disproportionately poor we're disproportionately not paid what we what we deserve what we should earn we our businesses Disproportionately suffer. Yes, our access is to contract acts. Well access to contracts at this local state and federal level is Disproportionately low it is going to be us on the receiving end of these things. But I think this is the time where we need to look at

what Martin Luther King Jr. was attempting to do before he was taken out, probably what he was taken out for, which is bringing together poor and disenfranchised people of all colors because we need that whole coalition right now to topple what's currently in our federal government. Yeah, I think that's true. Black people cannot do it alone.

I agree with that, we don't have the numbers. No. But I would say this, I am focused on black folks right now because I believe that we have to get our house in order first and then we can coalition build. I think normally what we've done historically is we go out to the larger coalition before we're tight. I wanna make sure that we're tight.

Are we all aligned? Are we all good? Are we all good? Are we moving forward? Meeting our basic needs, advocating for what's in our best interest, and then we grow out. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't be humane in your approach.

Like you can still fight for other people's issues, but make sure your coalition is tight. This is what we always argue, because it ain't gonna happen. Everybody ain't gonna get on the same page. I don't think that everybody has to, but I need a larger group of us to. That's why Noah just took animals on the ark, because he knew that them niggas wasn't coming.

All right. Angela Ry, we thank you for joining us so much. Let me just get the giraffes then. Come on, man. All giraffes will. All right. Well, it's Angela Ry. Hold on.

Tell them where to follow you, Angela Ry. Oh, yeah. At Angela Ry on Instagram, that Lennar say we are now boycotting And Yeah at native lamb pot Native lamb podcast every Thursday. All right. Let's Angela right. It's the breakfast club. Come on breakfast club Breakfast Club, good morning. Breakfast Club. Ugh, come on, why is this taking so long?

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Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts, where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week, I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars,

and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Join iHeartRadio and Sarah Spain in celebrating the one year anniversary of iHeart Women's Sports.

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Sports to listen now. So what happened at Chappaquiddick? Well, it really depends on who you talk to. There are many versions of what happened in 1969 when a young Ted Kennedy drove a car into a pond. And left a woman behind to drown. Chappaquiddick is a story of a tragic death and how the Kennedy machine took control.

Every week, we go behind the headlines and beyond the drama of America's royal family. Listen to United States of Kennedy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.