The Daily Signal - Best of RNC: Ben Carson, Dan Bongino, and Donald Trump Jr.

Episode Date: July 19, 2024

The Republican National Convention concluded Thursday night. The Daily Signal was on the ground in Milwaukee all week talking with lawmakers and conservative leaders. On today's show, we bring you three of our favorite interviews from the RNC. To watch all the interviews of The Daily Signal's RNC coverage, check out The Daily Signal YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/DailySignal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Daily Signal podcast for Friday, July 19th. I'm Virginia Allen. The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee wrapped up yesterday. But today we are reflecting on a packed four days. The Daily Signal spent at the Republican National Convention by bringing you three of our favorite interviews from the time there. And we're kicking off with a conversation between the Daily Signals Rob Louis and Dr. Ben Carson, the former head of housing and urban development under former president. Donald Trump. And they discuss the divine protection that God clearly had upon former president Donald Trump on Saturday during that assassination attempt. Then we're going to bring you a great conversation between the Daily Signal's Mary Margaret O'Lahan and Dan Bongino. Mary Margaret asked him if he would consider being the FBI director if Trump asked him. Stay tuned for his answer. And finally, we're going to close out the show today with another conversation from Mary Margaret O'Lahan, she had the chance to sit down with President Trump's son, Don Jr. They discussed the first words that Don Trump Jr. shared with his father following the assassination

attempt. Stay tuned for these great conversations after this. Conservative women are problematic women. Why? Because we don't adhere to the agenda of the radical left. Every Thursday morning on the Problematic Women podcast, Chris and I, Camer, Lauren Evans and me, Virginia Allen, are joined by other conservative women to break down the big issues and news you care about. Whether you're interested in hot takes and conversations on pop culture or what Congress is up to, problematic women has you covered. We sort through the news to keep you up to date on the issues that are of particular interest to conservative leaning that is problematic women. Find problematic women wherever you like to listen to podcasts and

and follow the show on Instagram. The Daily Signal is coming to you live from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and we're joined now by Dr. Ben Carson, the former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and a speaker on Tuesday night. Dr. Carson, thanks for being with us. Well, always good to be with you guys.

You bet. Well, let me ask you this. As you're looking out in that sea of people last night, delivering your speech, what goes through your mind in a moment like that? Well, first of all, there was an enormous amount of energy in that auditorium. People were really excited. And there had been some really good speeches that had come through.

And the theme is unity and safety and logic and common sense and what you can do as an individual in your sphere of influence. All of that was going on. And it's energizing when you're the speaker. I said a lot of things that I wasn't planning on saying. Tell me more about what you mean by that. I mean, because of what happened Saturday, meaning you shifted what you were planning to say,

or just in that moment, you felt called to say something else. Just in the moment you felt like when I closed, and I talked about Alexis de Tuckville. I wasn't planning to do that. But it seemed so appropriate, and it fits so well with the other things that I had said. And, but, you know, the really key thing that's going on now is I think our country is poised for a revival. We've had four revivals historically, usually surrounding pestilence or war.

We're ripe. And I think people are seeing that our country is spiraling downward because of the path that we've taken. And maybe we need to readjust our path. We need to go back and look at our founding document. The Declaration of Independence that talks about how our rights come from our creator, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And, you know, our Pledge of Allegiance says we're one nation under God.

All the money in our pocket, coins and cash, it says in God we trust. So maybe there's something to this. And, you know, the fact that we went from a... rag-tag bunch of militiamen to the pinnacle of the world in record time was not a coincidence. And we weren't trying to be like everybody else. We had our unique American identity. And it encompassed a whole variety of different cultures. But it had a unifying force behind it.

Yes, it certainly seems that way. And I'll tell you, as we talk to people, it seems that the thing that's appealing about Donald Trump in particular is that he's not your traditional candidate, obviously. But as a result of that, there are different segments to the American people who wouldn't normally vote Republican, who are willing to give him a shot. Because first of all, they say, look, life was actually pretty good during his first term in office. Things have gotten much worse. And this revival that you speak of, I think the American people are maybe, you know, clamoring for it, big changes. I think we're right for it right now. And I think people are tired of the divisiveness, you know, on the basis of age, income, race, gender, religion, political affiliation,

you decide that you love or you hate somebody based on those things. And that is not the way that we have traditionally done things. And we have not had litmus tests in terms of who is your neighbor. You're supposed to love your neighbor. that means anybody who's near you who needs help and the Bible makes that very clear everybody is your neighbor and it really is considerably easier to be a considerate kind and loving person than is to be a nasty hateful person and anybody who doubts that just try it give yourself a little test say for 24 hours I'm going to be nice to everybody I encounter.

That includes your spouse. Be nice to everybody for 24 hours and see how that feels compared to not being nice. I think you'll see a big difference. As a medical doctor, I'd like to ask you about what happened Saturday. You spoke about it in your convention speech. Obviously, I think many of us who are believers think that God intervened in some way to say, the former president's life. Absolutely.

But how does a moment like that change somebody? So, like, I mean, Donald Trump has talked about how blessed he is to be here with us today. Well, when you realize that you were within millimeters of death, it's a very sobering feeling. And, you know, the bulletproof George Washington. You know, same kind of story. And he realized and he said, Divine Providence has spared my life. You know, he had four bullet holes in his coat.

He had bullet fragments in his hair and no wounds. And he knew that that was impossible. And I think President Trump also realizes that I've told him for years that God had prepared him to help save the United States of America. I think he really believed it now. It certainly seems that way. What role do you anticipate having the months to come as the election proceeds and then maybe even in a second Trump term? You know, I have always committed myself to trying to save our country

for those who are coming after us, realizing all the sacrifices that people made who came before us. And that will continue to be my commitment. Which mechanism is used to do that? remains to be seen. But it will be something good. You have a great organization in Washington, D.C., not too far from our offices at the Daily Signal.

Tell our viewers about that or how they can support some of the work that you're doing. Yeah, the American Cornerstone Institute, American Cornerstone.org. Please go and check it out. And you'll find on there so much material, white papers, on virtually all the relevant topics of things that are going on today. There's a children's section called Little Patriots, which teaches children all about our history. They're good, the bad and the ugly, but of course there's a lot more good than there is bad and ugly. Sometimes people just extract the bad and ugly and try to make it all about that.

And we have my American story, live interviews with a number of people who came from communists and socialist countries, and they talk about what it was like. and some of the dangers that they see occurring in our society that may lead us into the same direction, all those kinds of things. And the key thing is it's free. The Star-Spangled Adventures, which is a beautiful cartoon series,

done by wonderful animators that we got from places like Disney and Pixar, ones who were not woke, by the way. And these things are so entertaining when little children see them, they always say the same thing. Can I see another episode? But at the same time, they're learning about who we are as people, what our history are, and hopefully we'll inspire them to achieve great things as well.

Well, I know you are as the father of three kids. I mean, certainly it's important for organizations like yours to do that because the institutions that have traditionally catered to that audience are failing, us. The traditional media, Hollywood, you can go down the list. And so it takes people like you to step in and fill that void. And so we are grateful for what you're doing and your service in the past and look forward to what's on the horizon in the future. And we appreciate Daily Signal and your attempt to do things in a truthful and even-handed way. Well, thank you, sir. Dr. Ben Carson, joining us from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For the Daily Signal,

I'm Rob Louie, and we will be back soon. We hope you enjoyed that conversation. between Rob Bowie and Ben Carson. Let's go ahead and get to Mary Margaret's discussion with Bonino. We're here with Dan Bonjino to talk about this horrific attempt on former President Donald Trump's life on Saturday. Dan, thanks so much for joining us. Sure. Like I said, my wife, Paula, said you better do the daily six. She would not. She forbid me from leaving the building until I did this. And of course, I love you guys. We really like Paula. And we're grateful that you. I married her. And we're happy that you're staying with us, even though you didn't have lunch yet, really quickly. So we just want to get your take on Saturday.

You know, we know you have a very unique perspective on this, given your own experience in the Secret Service. What went wrong there, and are we missing something? There's so many things that went wrong that we have to triage this into a few simple questions. Or honestly, we could be here all day. Why was there no spotter? Why was there no poststander down there? Why didn't they secure the air conditioning unit? that this guy obviously at this point

looks like he leapt on to get onto the building. Why wasn't there a post-ender there? But if I had to pin it down to a couple of simple questions, and I've said this to members of Congress, I had Jim Jordan on my radio show and podcast, Marjorie Taylor Green, I said, I'm begging you. Or during this congressional hearing, no filibustering,

no nonsense, no campaign websites. Get right to the point. Number one, they spotted this guy acting suspiciously, making furtive movements and things like that. 26 minutes before the shots rang out. So let's lowball it.

Assume that's 20 minutes before Trump starts making President Trump his way onto the stage. Why was President Trump allowed on the stage? I mean, as a former Secret Service agent, I've got an active open threat. I can't locate. So they knew about it 20 minutes before. Apparently, from what I'm hearing from sources,

he had disappeared in and out of these buildings so they couldn't find him. Okay. Assume you local threats happen, right? I mean, even the best security plans, you can get threats at times. I've been with him. I mean, I had a guy in a hotel room one time in Indonesia acting funny, and I said, you're going to have to delay the president landing.

We found what it was, and then he landed on time. It was no problem. Why was he allowed to walk on stage? I mean, you don't need to be a former secret service agent like me to say, wait, so you knew there was a threat there for 26 minutes, and you still let him walk on stage anyway and get shot? I don't understand, like, why not just delay the speech? I mean, Joe Biden's laid on speeches all the time.

The networks will wait. You couldn't wait five, ten minutes. We have a holding room at every single site. The holding room, you know why it's called the holding room? This is very scientific. Because we hold you there if something goes bad. That's literally why it's called the holding room. Why wasn't it used?

That's question one. Why was even on stage? The second question, the failed secret service director, Kim Chedel, who has been an abomination for this agency right now, just put out today, David. I think you saw. It's one of the great commentator. Love Mike. And Mike's asking some of the same questions you are, because no one can fathom the stupidity here. Kim Chito put out a statement that we didn't have a sniper, counter-sniper team on that roof because of the slope of the roof.

Well, the shooter didn't seem to have any problem with the slope of the roof. Even accepting that the idiocracy of that story, how stupid it is, why then did you allow him a clean line of site. I'll give you a quick story I told on my radio show today. You can't mitigate everything. They could have someone on that roof and they didn't. But say they really couldn't have. It's unstable or whatever. Okay, fine. Accepting this ridiculous story. I did a site once at Hopster University for Hillary Clinton when she was the first lady. There was a really troubling line of sight issue. We were short on assets. There was a dorm building looking into the window. Someone could have the shot on. We didn't have an asset to get up there. So you know what I did? I had him go to a hardware

store. And you know the fake snow? I said, I want you to fake snow spray paint all of those windows. So at least the shooter can't see. Wow. It would be a random shot. We don't want it. But at least you're not going to be able to range finder. They couldn't even put a campaign banner and block the line of sight for the guy with the biggest footprint in the world.

So again, why didn't they block the line of sight? And second, why was he on the X anyway? The X is what we call in the Secret Service. Where the protector is standing? If you're in a limo and a limo gets hit, the golden rule is you get him off the X. Right. Why was he even on the X? cover, evacuate, or don't even bring them to this stage.

There is no excuse for this. There should be mass resignations. People should be criminally investigated for what happened here. So can the FBI actually investigate this? Do you trust them to do that? No, do I trust the FBI? That's like asking an alcoholic if you trust Jose Cuervo. No, I absolutely don't.

I want to say, I hope they prove me wrong. I'm also a realist, and I realize the FBI has some decent people. I worked with them. The management right now is an abomination. And what I'm afraid of is even if you get a bunch of good rank and file investigators who find out something serious, I don't know what that is or could be. I don't put out stuff I can't back up. I don't trust Christopher Ray to tell people the truth. I just don't. I mean, if the guy had a Moms for Liberty hat on, then, yeah, believe me, they'd have every story right now. The guy's parents would be in the Gulloch.

But no, I don't. I hope they proved me wrong, however. I don't say things I can't back. up. And until they, you know, I see some evidence that they're hiding stuff, I'll reserve opinion. But their track record, I mean, can we just be honest as, you know, from horrible to atrocious? And I know you don't say things you can't back up. But in this scenario, based on what you know, do you feel like there's something going on here that, you know, we've heard speculation that this was an inside job that, you know, there were other people involved? Listen, you know, opinions are like the holes, right? Everybody's got one. until I can back it up, I don't even want to speculate. But I will say it is an oddity.

I mean, that's, I guess saying it's an oddity is an opinion, but it's opinion based on fact. He has no social media profile now in 2024? 20-year-old. I mean, wouldn't you think that was weird? I think the neighbors would be like, oh, this guy's strange. He doesn't have a social media profile.

So I find that odd. But again, you know, I doubt inside jobs because there are so many people would have to be read in on that. plan. And it's just, there's always a leaker. But I don't discount anything. Listen, after SpyGate and Russia collusion, it would be irresponsible for me to do the opposite, too, and go, oh, though, that didn't happen. Well, what evidence you have, it didn't happen. I don't. So, you know, we'll see. But I hope they prove me wrong. And last question for you, because I know you need lunch. We've been seeing people float you as the next FBI director. Would you do it?

I do it. Only if President Trump personally wanted it. Him, if he wanted it. I never envisioned myself going back in government again, ever. Like ever, ever, ever. I can't say that enough. Repeating decimal, right? But, you know, there comes a time where I wouldn't even take a salary for this stuff.

There comes a time where, you know, your country matters more. And I never got in this stuff for the money or the glory or any crap like that. it just happened. And it's just, I'm honored. I'm honored that people think that. But, yeah, I'm kind of flattered. If he called that, I'd have to consider anything. Okay.

Well, thank you so much. We're so grateful for your time. Great to be with you again. See you. Great. And finally, here's Mary Margaret's conversation with Don Trump Jr. Here with us today is Donald Trump Jr., less than 48 hours after an assassin tried to kill your father.

Thank you so much for being here. It's my pleasure. Thank you. So I wanted to ask you, you know, you, I am sure, this was a horrific moment for you when you found out that someone had attempted to take your father's life. What was your first conversation with our former president like after this shooting? Well, actually took a while. It was a Saturday evening. I was with my kids July, summer, and I got a call. Your father's been shot, but that's it. Like, no details. Like, is he alive? Is he not? Is he okay?

It took about 90 minutes to actually get through. I guess, you know, with that, they had them all locked down and whatever. it may be and mobile trauma units or and so you know I didn't even know for 90 minutes yeah an hour and a half for me to not know what was going on and strangely enough during that time I was just trying to get all my kids together didn't know if there was further stuff going on or if there was you know and so you know stayed relatively calm in that you know got got to finally you know speak to him and uh you know by then I'd already seen some of the videos so I was like okay then finally got the phone call and it was you know me my brother and Laura and my daughter and my ex-wife we're all there on sort of speakerphone talking, talking to my dad.

And, you know, he was just surprisingly upbeat and, you know, obviously a somber moment, right? But, you know, surprisingly there that, you know, we even got in a hair joke. I was like, is the hair okay after with all that blood? We sort of had some fun with it. I think probably all needed a little Trump style icebreaker just to kind of, you know, get through some of the gravitas of everything that went on. And, you know, then you sort of sit down. and that's when it all hits you. And it's like, man, it was a pretty crazy moment.

Right. And I'm sure you felt so strongly. How did this change how you look at your father? Oh, I told him. The first thing I got, I go, you know, I saw the picture that's sort of defiant, you know, fist pump, you know, after five seconds after getting shot. And, you know, I guess we live in an era where everyone sort of thinks they're a badass because they're on the Internet and not really up front, but he just got shot and he comes

out, you know, sort of defiant, ready to fight for a country. And I just said, hey, you're the best. biggest badass I've ever met and I probably could not have been legitimately more proud ever, you know, as a son to have that kind of approach. Because again, everyone thinks they're going to act that way. Everyone wants to believe that they're going to act that way. But when actually tried, usually it's not the case. You usually wither and hide. And that's not his style. Right. It's not at all. Can I ask you last thing, are you worried about more political violence and do you anticipate that you and your immediate family could also be a target? You know,

Obviously, it's something you think about. I try not to because I also have to live your life and, you know, do those kinds of things. I know when my father was in office, I had a Secret Service detail, and I was, I think, the number two most threatened person in America, according to them. Because like him, I sort of, I don't just accept the other side's narrative and apologize for it. I push back. I fight, and that's the way I'm sort of built, I guess. Maybe we're all built a little differently. Certainly he is.

I'd like to believe I got some of those genes. and so, you know, it's definitely a consideration, and you've seen the elevation of that over the years. You know, they couldn't beat him in, you know, in so many ways, so they try to, you know, sue him to death. And then they try to, you know, bankrupt him. And then they try to take away his businesses. And when that doesn't work, they try to jail him. And, you know, it was sort of the natural progression. I got in trouble a couple months ago when Tucker said, like, yeah, of course they would try to try to.

And I said, yeah, like, it's totally like, in the world in which we live right, it's totally plausible that they would try to do something like this. and, you know, I got criticized. How dare I say that? But here we are. Here we are. Like all great conspiracy theories, it turns right six months later. Right. I heard Tucker say today that you're maybe his favorite member of the Trump family.

I didn't hear that, but I appreciate that. Listen, he's a great friend. I think he's a true sort of journalist talent. I think he has also, you know, the guts and resolve that so many people lack, you know, right now in this country. So that's about as great a compliment as I can get, I think. So I really appreciate that time. I agree.

Hopefully I'll see them later on. We'll see what happens. Well, thank you so much. We so appreciate your time. Thank you so much. Really appreciate being with you. Thanks so much for joining the show today. We really hope you enjoyed these conversations.

The Daily Signal did dozens of interviews from the Republican National Convention. If you enjoyed today's conversations, then you're going to love the rest of the interviews that we had. And you can find them all by visiting the Daily Signal's YouTube. page. Just go on YouTube and search for The Daily Signal. You will find them all there. Be sure to check them out. Let us know what you think. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button, both for this podcast. You never miss out on new shows, but also on our YouTube channel and across social media. So you never miss out on this type of content as the Daily Signal attends other events just like this. All right. Thanks so much for joining us today. Have a fantastic weekend. Don't forget,

we'll be back with you for top news around 5 p.m. today and of course more great air reviews on Monday morning. All right, we'll see you then. The Daily Signal podcast is made possible because of listeners like you. Executive producers are Rob Lewy and Katrina Trinko. Hosts are Virginia Allen, Brian Gottstein, Tyler O'Neill, Mary Margaret O'Lohan, and Elizabeth Mitchell. Sound design by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, John Pop, and Joseph Von Spakovsky. To learn more or support our work, please visit daily signal.com.