The Dan Bongino Show - Race, Policing, and the 2020 Elections. An Interview with Kira Davis and Scott Turner (Ep 1280)

Episode Date: June 20, 2020

In this show I Interview Editor-at-Large from RedState Kira Davis, and Scott Turner from the Trump White House’s Office of Opportunity & Revitalization. Copyright Bongino Inc All Rights Reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get ready to hear the truth about America on a show that's not immune to the facts with your host, Dan Bongino. Welcome to the Dan Bongino interview series. Today's guest, this is a twofer. We've got the great Kira Davis from Red State. We talk about a lot of things here, folks. We talk about everything from school choice, AB5, Uber and Lyft drivers. What does that have to do with President Trump's reelection and potentially winning California? That comes up. Police, community relations.

And Paul, listen to the show. I record the intros afterwards. And I've got to tell you, it is the most fascinating conversation about race issues in America, given the time we're in. I think I've had in a long time. I am not kidding.

There are some real eye openers. Check it out. Don't go anywhere. We also have Scott Turner from the White House coming up afterwards. Some real serious input on what's going on with the Trump administration, relationships with the minority communities, police relationships, a lot of good stuff in this show. It's a long one, but it's worth your time. Today's show brought to you by our friends at Helix Sleep. Helix Sleep is a quiz. It takes just two minutes to complete. It matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect

mattress for you, not for someone else. You a side sleeper, a hot sleeper, you like a plush or a firm bed. With Helix Sleep, there's no more confusion and no more compromising. Helix Sleep is rated the number one mattress, not number two, number one mattress by GQ and Wired Magazine. It's the most comfortable mattress we've ever slept on. We have two in this house. We love them both. My daughter has one. We have one sleeping on a cloud every night. Just go to helixsleep.com slash Dan. Take their two-minute sleep quiz. They'll match you to a customized mattress that'll give you the best sleep of your life.

They have a 10-year warranty. Try it out for 100 nights risk-free. They'll even pick it up for you. If you don't love it, they'll pick it up for you, but you will. You will love it. It's my favorite mattress. Right now, Helix is offering up to $200

off all mattress orders. For our listeners, go to helixsleep.com slash Dan for up to $200 off your mattress order. For our listeners, go to helixsleep.com slash Dan for up to $200 off your mattress order. That's Helix, H-E-L-I-X sleep.com slash Dan, helixsleep.com slash Dan. Go today. All right. Without further ado, Kira Davis. All right. Welcome to the Dan Bongino Show interview series. Pretty stoked about this interview. My good friend, Kira Davis from Red State, editor at large and host of the podcast. Just listen to yourself. Well, now, unfortunately, you have to listen to me, Kira. So unfortunately for you, I'm excited about

listening to you. I'm not so sure how you are excited about listening to me. Good to see you again. Thanks for joining the show. We appreciate it. It's really good to see you, Dan. Thanks for having me. Yeah, you're great. I love Red State. You guys are doing tremendous work. You know, you're one of the few websites out there that sticks to a certain set of principles no matter what. You guys don't worship golden calves over there. So I use your stuff all the time. Keep up the great work over there and best of luck with the podcast. But listen, it's been a hot week and I follow you on social media and, you know, you don't hold back when it comes to these issues. And that's why I wanted to have you on this week. It's been a hot week for a lot of issues, police reform issues,

race relations in the United States, and a number of other issues you have interest in. Let me start first, because the police stuff, we have a lot to talk about in race relations. That's a big topic. But I want to get to an issue first that I know is sensitive to your heart, that a lot of the viewers out there may not have heard of, but it's kind of a big deal. Explain to us what's going on in California with AB5 and why in liberal California, this may be a golden opportunity for the GOP to move in and actually stand for something for once. Absolutely, Dan. Thank you so much for bringing this up. This is a big deal. AB5 is also known as the gig economy killer bill. It is a bill that outlaws independent contracting. Technically, my job with you right now talking to

you is illegal. As an independent contractor, I'm no longer allowed to choose the jobs that I want to do and to get paid for those jobs. I have to be a W-2 employee. It was a union push. It passed in the dead of the night with no opposition. And it is responsible for the tanking of over a million independent contracting jobs in California, including jobs like courtroom reporters, emergency room interpreters, security officers, tutors, actors, musicians, the list goes on and on and on. It was meant to get an Uber and Lyft, but they're so rich and they're so powerful, they just ignored it. And in the meantime, it just ensnared a million other Californians. So we've been fighting this. In order for me to even do my work anymore, I had to set up an LLC. The LLC fee in California is $800 per year. So, and now, and now

I'm an employee of my, of myself. So I'm taxed, I'm taxed as an employer and an employee, even though I'm the same person. And the triple whammy is my $800 a year just to keep working. And I think this is actually a really prescient time for you to bring this up, Dan, because we're talking about Black Lives Matter now. And the majority of independent contractors, not just in California, but across the U.S., are women and people of color. Because when you are disadvantaged in other systems, the American dream tells us we can go make it happen ourselves, right? And so that's what we do.

And now the unions have come and said, no, no, no, you need to be a W-2 employee. And then the further push is to make us all be a part of unions. And if you're not a part of the union, then, you know, you just go on the dole. It's insidious. It's coming to a state near you. And the national version of this bill has already passed the House and is waiting for debate in the Senate is called the PRO Act. This is a national and in fact, Dan, an international push to fight against the right to work. So if you're basically an Uber driver, a Lyft driver, you're screwed, correct? I mean, uber driver a lyft driver you're screwed correct i mean is am i summing that up right maybe uber and lyft has been ignoring this so they've been pretending that it's not even here so they've been

kind of running business as usual if you are a single mother who contracts your services out as a nurse part-time so you can stay home and take care of your aging mother or your growing children, yeah, you're out of luck. So Uber and Lyft though, if this goes national, they're not going to be able to ignore this that much longer. Keep in mind, I'm totally against this bill. So I hope you understand that. I'm just saying, worst case scenario, I've been following you on social media with this for a long time and disclosure here, I spoken to people in the gop not like joking myself on the back here but at a pretty high level and i say you're making a huge mistake not contacting kira davis about this damn ab5 bill in california which is pissed off like 50 of the state this is a golden opportunity is it not to be like hey we're

fighting for your job as an uber driver as a journalist, a journalist of all people, while the Democrats are throwing you under the bus. I mean, we're missing a golden opportunity here. Oh, my gosh, Dan, you're speaking my language to preach to the choir. I wrote an article that went viral a couple of months ago. Well, months, I guess, before COVID hit. Remember the time before we had coronavirus seems like decades ago right remember pete budaj you're like who the hell's that that seems like 20 years ago who the hell's pete budaj what are you talking about they probably they

think he ran against lyndon johnson or something it seems like so long ago 2020 has been the longest decade ever just ended but so i wrote an article called this is months ago called flump flump trump can flip california i had a lot of ridicule for it but what i said is the point is the very point that you brought up dan which is i have never seen so many California Democrats walking away from the party, not because they love Trump, not because they love the GOP, but because they're looking at the people they voted for that just canceled their main source of employment. And they're going, well, we need help. We need to talk about this. And their elected politicians, the people they put into power are looking at them and telling them,

no, your voice doesn't count. We don't care about you. We don't care about what you have to say. We get called, we get accused of being fake accounts, of being backed by big corporations, but like, I wish I would take that money in a heartbeat, trust me, but we're not. And this is a great opportunity. trump puts a little effort comes does a couple of rallies does his whole trump thing you know how he does it and the gop comes in behind him and says look do you want to work do you want law and order do you want to be able to go earn your money and then spend your money the way you see fit guess what look at this record of the democrats they They are not on your side. They haven't been on your side. There are people here, Dan, that are just dying for a reason to vote GOP

if only for one election cycle. And the GOP is missing this opportunity because they've given up on us. Listen, you're a great voice on these issues. And I asked you about AB5 first intentionally because I really can't stand when people pigeonhole people in. Oh, it's a black female. The first question is going to be about. No, no. You're a very interesting person for a lot of reasons. Unfortunately, liberals don't see the world that way. And they forced us as conservatives, sadly, into this box where this is the kind of stuff we have to talk about. And I'd rather not. I'd love to talk about all kinds of interesting things you put out on your social media account all day because I find you fascinating. Sadly,

that's not the point we're at in America now. It seems like we're going backwards. And my question to you is a big one, but a simple one. What the hell is the GOP doing wrong with the black vote? How are we only getting 10% of the black vote? When I ran for office in Maryland, which has the largest population of black democratic voters per capita anywhere in the country, I'd knock on doors. I wouldn't tell anybody my party. Tons of doors I knocked on happened to be black families in Prince George's County. I'd say, well, what do you think about this? I swear 90% of them were not only Republicans, but like hard conservatives, like to the right of me on issues.

What are we doing wrong? How are we blowing this? It's so funny that you say this, Sam, because right before I talked to you today about coming on the show, I was recording an episode of my podcast, Just Listen to Yourself, and I addressed that very question in my podcast. What's the episode title? Do you know offhand? Yes. This week, I break down the difference between Black Lives Matter, the organization and Black Lives Matter, the sentiment and the hashtag. All right. Two different things, folks. And I and I break down why one is not good for the community and one is valuable.

And conservatives need to start listening more to it. So you can check that out. Just listen to yourself available wherever you find podcasts. But answer your question, Dan. This is exactly what I said on my podcast. The conservatives ask me this question all the time. What's wrong with black people? They're mostly conservative.

Why can't we get them to vote GOP? I think that's the wrong question. The right question is the way you framed it, which is how? Because we're looking at an issue of 60 years of lockstep voting, nothing's changed, the country's on fire. So obviously none of these Democrat promises have come true. What we need is a GOP that is willing to get in there and give black Americans a reason to vote Republican, a reason to vote, quote, in their own self-interest. They look at the Republican Party as not being interested in the black vote. I believe that is true.

And for a lot of reasons, and some of them are nefarious reasons. One reason is that conservatives tend to look at the black community and say, when I see you, I don't see color. And that's a very nice statement. And it comes from a place of genuine acceptance. But you have to understand that the black community speaks the language of race. Good, bad, no matter whatever you wish it could be. That's what that's the reality that's what this is so conservatives are never going to win the black ear if they aren't willing to speak the language which is the language on that for a minute though and and you may be this may be kind of like ridiculous you're like how are you challenging kira on this if anyone's position to speak about it it's kira not you but i want to give you an experience i had because I agree with you. Just because we see the world through a certain prism doesn't mean others do.

And I went on CNN before I was a Fox contributor. I used to do CNN all the time. And I went on one night and I forget there was one of these police use of force incidents. I don't remember which one, but it wasn't one of these clear cut ones like George Floyd. It was one of these where different people, even on CNN, had different opinions on it. And I opened up by saying, I'll never forget this. And Akira, I'll tell you, it was the most genuine moment I've had on television. I meant every word of it. I said, listen, I was a cop. I get it. There are real problems with policing in the black community. They're not as expansive as people make them out to be, but they're there. Ignoring it is foolish. And I said, point number two here

is there are people alive today, black men and women who've lived through indignities. I say this on my show all the time. I mean, my wife's right. She can vouch for it. I probably say it once a month. Live through indignities. You and I will just never know. You've never sat, thankfully, at a colored water fountain, understood that. And their experience with policing decades ago was very different than ours now. Some of that has been passed on. Those were genuine fears back then. And we have to understand that and recognize it because it's not going to go away and it's not fake and it's not made up. But I said that that night. And honestly, it wasn't some like virtue signaling. That wasn't even a word back then. I was really just trying to tell other people like i get it there are issues here i hear

you too i just wish you'd hear me back but when i did it kira that's the reason i'm bringing this up it was the most negative attention i'd ever gotten on the at the time people just like ah that's fake it's phony you're not serious you don't want to see it through my eyes you're a bull you get the rest and i was just like, I can't. So that's the only reason I kind of give it back to you a little bit and say, are you sure people really want to talk about this stuff, even if we're listening? No, I didn't say that, Dan. I didn't say people would talk about it.

Give it back. I didn't say that because I'm with you. I believe a lot of people don't want to talk about it. I'm not convinced we're ready to have the real conversation that needs to be had. Now, I'm going to say this and I might get in trouble, but we're in the opinion arena. We have no other choice than be totally honest about how we feel, right? Sure. If we're being authentic.

And don't worry, we're on tape. So if you don't like what you say, we can delete it and come back and insert something else in there later so go right ahead get some good clips ready just in case you want to edit this out okay um i've never seen white people more willing to sit back and say i'm ready to listen and i don't understand but i want to know more i've never i've never seen white people more willing to sit back and say, I'm ready to listen. And I don't understand, but I want to know more. I've never seen it like this in my life. Could it go further? Maybe, but I've never seen.

So there's a part of this equation where people are wanting to really start to listen and maybe understand things that they kind of dismissed in the past. start to listen and maybe understand things that they kind of dismissed in the past. And I think as a Black community, we also have the obligation to get on board too and to say the hard things and to hear the hard things. And that takes a level of humility. I've always said in order to have an honest race conversation, each party, no matter what race, has to come to the table willing to give up their right to be offended. That's called grace. Amen.

And I don't know how much grace we have for each other. So I'm not saying, Dan, that the path is easy. And I'm not saying that the path is even there. But the people who have innovated in this country and who have pushed us forward with positive progress for freedom and prosperity they're the people who beat the new path so we have an opportunity to beat a new path for the gop here if that's what they really want and it means having to do things they might not feel comfortable with which is also learning how to speak that language of race learning how race and culture for the black community are intimately connected. They're not separate. No matter what people believe, they're not separate.

They're intimately connected. So a lot of Black people, when they hear white, particularly conservatives, say, when I see you, I don't see color. What they hear is, I don't see you. Fair, not fair. That's what it is. So the GLP has a path here. If they want to be bold and they want to start investing in some bold, authentic voices, get boots on the ground, get in there, get in there on school choice. We're going to talk about that. Get in there on feeding the poor. Get in there on telling black people that they're allowed to express themselves however they want, because we have First Amendment rights. Get in there and tell them why the Second Amendment is good for Black people, particularly when we're talking about defunding polices in their own communities. Get in there

and make the case that this is the path forward for prosperity. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, well, let's just end the show there. Just kidding. That was just amazing. I just, what you said, you said something really deep there. We have to be willing to both be offended if we're going to have a, you always say, oh, let's have a national conversation. Nobody really means that. If you really want to have an authentic conversation,

you're right. You have to give up the right on both sides to be offended. On our, I don't even like to say side, but I get what you're saying. But I don't even want to make it a race I get what you're saying, but I don't even want to make it a racing more like an argument, say the identity politics versus everything else. What's going on. We have to be able to sit down and acknowledge, like I said before,

the black history in America has been different. That's just a fact, you know, and people are still alive who suffered through that. It's not like it happened like 10 million years ago here. That's different. I mean, these are hard scars that don't just heal easily and it's okay to talk about it. I think on the other side though, and again, I'm not trying to speak for any particular group of people, but just from things I've heard from listeners who email me who are not black, whether Hispanic or white or Asian or whatever it may be. They say to me, Kira, they say a lot, well, I'm afraid, honestly, to have any conversation because if I say anything and I just misstep on one word, I feel like it's over for me. Like cancel culture is going to come in or someone

could be recording me and they don't really mean anything by it. They're just afraid because it seems like the language changes so often, like nobody knows what to even say anymore. And that's what I, am I reading this wrong? I think that kind of puts a wall up between people too. And I'm not talking, but just to be clear here, I'm not talking about people who have obvious bad intentions. Some people just hate other people

for all kinds of stupid reasons, race or else. I'm talking about genuine people who, listen, they may not be PhDs in English. Not everything comes out in the most articulate way, but they genuinely are concerned and do want to hear what you have to say. I think that PC wall kind of blocks that conversation. Yeah, it's so funny.

My white friend of mine the other day texted me and she texted me an article about someone who got canceled for just that very thing you know saying the wrong thing and she was like it's so confusing to be a white person right now like i don't know what to do and um the other day dan you'll get a kick out of this story my husband was in a local a local store and he was looking at plants and we live in the suburbs in orange county now and this white woman was standing next to him and he was looking at plants and we live in the suburbs in Orange County now and this white woman was standing next to him and she was just staring at him. My husband's black, which is relevant to the story. And she was staring at him and he finally looked over. He said,

do I know you? And she said, no, I just wanted to tell you, I'm sorry. And My husband, who is the kindest, I swear this is a true story. I swear. True story. My husband, who is truly one of the kindest and most open-hearted people I know, he didn't even make the connection at first. He thought she had maybe kicked his car or scratched his car or something in the parking lot. Like, what happened? Exactly. Did she steal my groceries.

I don't get it. Yeah. And so she said, well, just with everything going on, like I worry that you might feel uncomfortable in this community. And I want you to, I want to say thank you for being here. And I hope you feel welcome in this community. And my husband was like, okay, you're welcome. And then moved on.

But he came home and told me that story, and we laughed about it. But at the same time, it really struck me because I see that there, I get what he was trying to say. I get it. White people, if you're listening to this, don't do that. Like, don't, I know you might want to because you don't know what to do, but don't do that.

Yeah, but you understand she probably seriously meant that like the the action yeah you're right i mean it's just weird it's just like super weird you know but i i gotta tell you i i don't know the woman i don't know the but she probably really felt that way like felt really bad that there obviously is some racism there and that someone who might be black may be treated differently she probably was genuine but you're right it just is it's just weird i don't know any other word for it it's weird how do you how and that night i actually have been invited to speak to a book club a group of ladies in my own neighborhood a group of white ladies and i was like okay all bets are off here we're not judging each other for each other's dumb questions ask your dumb questions ask your cheesy questions i'll give you honest answers and we're not going to hold this judging each other for each other's dumb questions. Ask your dumb questions. Ask your cheesy questions.

I'll give you honest answers, and we're not going to hold this against each other. And they did. They asked every cheesy question in the book. But we got somewhere. See, the thing is, no one's willing to sit back and feel uncomfortable about the things they're hearing. You cannot respond to a bad idea if you're not allowed to hear the bad idea in the first place.

Yeah, it's a real shame. You know, I want to ask you, I want to get to President Trump. Obviously, you know, I'm a supporter. That's not a big secret. You know, I have every policy. I've had some disagreements. I'm actually not a supporter of criminal justice reform and some of the other things. Having been a police officer, I you know, that's what I like about the administration. No, they don't require you to walk in lockstep or they lock you out. They seek input from other people. But one of the things about President Trump is he's definitely a bull in the China shop. I mean, we can throw all that other stuff. He's just not the stereotypical politician. And I've read an interesting, you know, Dave Rubin on social media. I'm sure you've seen his commentary there. Dave had an interesting story. I saw this on his social media the other

day where apparently President Trump, Dave happens to be gay. He's married to another man. And they show up at, I think it was Mar-a-Lago or somewhere. And President Trump says something like, this is totally like, this is why the PC wall with him doesn't exist, which I think everybody loves about him.

And he's like, hey, so you guys are gay? Like, that's really cool. And he looks at Melania and he goes, the only problem with are gay like that's really cool and he looks at milani because the only problem with these guys is they're both super good looking like that's that's trump like that's him he's totally not pc at all but genuine like he really doesn't care like that's not his thing at all he doesn't care he's not into this putting people in boxes but he apparently was on his feet hey these two guys are just really good. Like, that's the only problem I have. Like, they're better looking than me. Like, that's, has that been the appeal of Trump a little bit?

Like, he says things and other people go, yeah, kind of would say that too if the cameras weren't on. Like, that's how people act. Or not just that we would say that, but that he just has the confidence to say it. And, like, you're getting, what you get with Trump is what you get. I think that's why a lot, like a lot more black people really like Trump than people know. And I think part of it is because he is unapologetic. Even if he does say stupid things,

it's like, yeah, but I'm just a person. And I just like, I flub my words sometimes or whatever, but like, I don't have anything to apologize because this is what I think. And I'm,

I'm not worried about what you think about me. There's something so attractive about that and that's kind of how I I wish people would approach the race discussion more actually just to circle back not on purpose but but I find it's easier to have that discussion when everyone is confident and what they believe and everyone's already coming in confident in who they are what's what's muddying these waters was messing up this conversation and making it so political trump this trump that is that there are a lot of very insecure people out there who are trying to assuage their guilt their white guilt um rather than looking at their own lives and saying, what in my circle,

what in my life sphere can I control to let control to let people know that I care about my community right where I live in my home, in my neighborhood, that guy that runs a store down the street. Everyone wants to save the world. No one wants to make their bed. Yeah. Jordan Peterson's big on that yeah we're gonna take a uh a quick break uh we're talking to kira davis check out our podcast just listen to yourself listen to that episode especially she just mentioned she is also the editor-at-large at red state we'll be right back today's show is also brought to you by quip listen let's talk about brushing her teeth 75 of us use old worn out terrible bristles that are ineffective and

even more people forget to floss daily. Good health starts with good habits and good oral health. That's important. Quip, Q-U-I-P, makes it easy by delivering all the oral healthcare essentials you need to brush and floss better. The Quip electric toothbrush has time sonic vibrations with a 30-second pulses, 30-second pulse to guide a dentist-recommended two-minute routine, and there's even a a size down version designed for kids. Listen, let me just cut to the chase here. We have three of these now in our house. One for me, one for my daughter, one for my wife. This is like a power washing for your mouth. I had a friend call me, asked me if this toothbrush was the real deal. I said, brother, you don't know how clean your mouth can be till you've tried one

of these. Why? Because you probably haven't tried one yet. Brush with a quip. You'll know what I'm talking about. It comes out. They have a reliable floss. They'll send you on a schedule as well. They have every three months for just $5 each, you'll have Equip brush headed toothpaste and floss refills are automatically delivered on that three month schedule for just $5 each. A friendly reminder when it's time for a refresh and to stay committed to your oral health. This toothbrush is amazing. It is the Cadillac of toothbrushes. Join over 3 million happy customers and practice good oral care affordably with Quip, starting at just $25. If you go to getquip, getquip.com slash Dan right now, you'll get your first refill free. That's your first refill free at

getquip.com slash Dan, spelled getquip, Q-U-I-P.com slash Dan Quip, The Good Habits Company. Check them out today. All right, we're back with Kira Davis. Check out her new podcast. Just listen to yourself. Also check her out over at Red State of Writing. It's incredible.

So we've covered a huge amount of material. That's what I like about these long form interviews. But let's get back to school choice. That's important. It's been an issue very sensitive to my heart. I'm kind of a de facto product of it. Although it wasn't a formal school choice policy, I lived in a school district in Queens, had awful schools. And, you know, my mother scrounged pennies together to put me in a Catholic school. And it's the only reason I'm speaking to you in coherent sentences now.

You know, it's said so often it almost has become cliched, but it is true. It has become the civil rights issue of our day. You know, I always kind of laugh at John Edwards. He had ran for president under this two Americas campaign and he was right just for the wrong reasons. There are two Americas. And when you're a police officer in a largely minority community, you know, you see these two Americas, these kids have almost no shot whatsoever. Should this become a central plank of the GOP and not just the secondary and tertiary issue it's been? 100%.

If you want to talk about how does the GOP win more black votes, this is the issue. This, listen to me, this is the issue. Because black people love their kids just as much as everybody else does. But a lot of us are condemned to failing school districts because system is more segregated than ever. How do we desegregate? We don't need to be busing folks. What we need to do is let the money follow the child. Give that black mother an opportunity to say, you know what, this school across the street from where I live is not very good. It's not going to be productive. My son's not going to learn there very well. But that school across town, I can figure out a way to get him there every day if he can just get into that school. Your zip code should never determine your opportunity. It's a cliche at this point,

but it is so true. It's true. This is the civil rights issue of our time. If you want to desegregate us, you want to give more opportunity to black... Let me tell you this, Dan. My husband and i live in orange county we moved here from gary indiana which is the straight hood is where my husband was born and raised music man because we gary indiana gary everybody i'm sorry i didn't mean

it right audience hates when i interrupt my guests but my daughter was in the play i had to throw that in go right ahead you guys are from gary and her at us so i won't interrupt it's nothing like that song it's nothing like that play gary is like a small detroit and my husband's born and raised there and we lived across the street from our public school but i drove my son to school every day when When we moved to Orange County, we live in a place that is, technically it's kind of beyond our means. We struggle to stay here, but we do it because we're investing on this end for our kids.

Because do you know how most people, I know you know this, this is rhetorical, but most people get their jobs, how most people get their opportunities, their first job, their apprenticeships is by knowing someone. But if you live in a community where you don't know people who are in those venues, who are

educated, who own businesses, who can give you a leg up every now and then, that's what people mean when they say the opportunity isn't the same. They don't mean America is the problem. Some people do. But America is not the problem. I say this all the time. America doesn't owe you the opportunity. America itself is the opportunity. And then we have to decide will be the players, the shakers, the movers. Your network is the most valuable thing you have as an American.

School choice gives black kids who are condemned to failing schools and failing neighborhoods the opportunity to develop new networks. It's almost as valuable as the quality of the education. You know, that's an absolutely brilliant point. One of the best books I've ever read, which infuriates my producer at times because I bring it up so often, is Nassim Taleb's The Black Swan. And one of the lessons from the book, whenever someone stops me and says, hey, Dan, you got any life advice? I say the same thing every time. And if you've met me and you're watching my show, you know, because I've told you this. I say, yeah, from the black swan, collect opportunities, but don't chase trains. It's a book, the black swan. It's written about these people who were

immensely successful and the characteristics they may have shared together. And you know what this guy found out the other that they don't really have any, it's not the best looking. They're not all the smartest. They don't all have college. Some of them don't even have high school, but they're all super successful. And you know why? Because they collected opportunities. They went to coffee clotches, cocktail parties, parties, symposiums, seminars, work, whatever, after hour work internships, whatever it may be. And what you just said, they met other successful people who taught them lessons about success or who gave them an opportunity. He said, hey, Kira, you know what? I mean, that's how I found you, networking.

I've known you since CPAC, what, eight years ago. I've needed someone today. I'm like, she's great. Let's get. This is simply a matter of me knowing you personally. And when you are in a failing school, it's not just that you're not going to learn squat. You're not going to be around people who've learned squat either. And your entire professional network is shut off. You will have no opportunities to ever collect. And you are damn right with that. That is one of

the best things I've ever heard said. Well, thank you. I mean, to kind of relate a less intelligent version of what you just said with the black swan. I always likened it to George Clooney and his group. George Clooney, as the actor, has a group of friends that he's been friends with since he was in high school. They're all actors. Most of them are recognizable. Only a few of them have our household names, but they're all extremely successful. And George Clooney is the most successful in that group. But if you listen to him talk about his group, they take a road trip every year. They rent an RV and they travel across the country together every year. It's about eight of them.

And he says, the one key to success in my life has been this group. We've always supported each other, given each other opportunities. When one of us made it, we pulled the rest up with us. When we needed a writer on this show, I asked my friend. When he needed an actor on this show, he asked this other friend. And because of that, they all became successful. Your network is the most valuable thing you will have in your career. Absolutely. And I think a lot of people don't understand that it isn't only a matter of the mechanics of education, but like we've just

been discussing, it's also a matter of having the opportunity to know people who aren't like you. Yeah, no, that's a great, even my wife who rarely chimes in on the show is shaking her head in the background. Apparently she's heard that George Clooney story before. Just to say the chase trains part, by the way, so I don't confuse my audience. There's one section of the book where he relays a story about how this professor friend of his would never run for a train. The idea being if the train leaves at eight Oh five and you're running for it, then you screwed it. You knew it was there at eight Oh five. So collect opportunities. But if you say you're going to do something, then get on the damn train at 8.05. Don't run for it.

You blew the opportunity. It's your fault. So I tell that to anyone who will listen. You've been very generous with your time. Again, we're talking to Kira Davis, her new podcast. Just listen to yourself. Go check that out. Also check out her work at Red State.

We'll end with this. Obviously, hot topic of the week, the day, everything going on. We've had these officers, two officers in Atlanta. And I'm not addressing George Floyd anymore at this point because it's clear as day I made my, it's an abhorrent, disgusting abomination to humankind. Handcuffs are on, fights over, end of story. We have spoken about this. But this Atlanta situation, there's a lot of gray. I have spoken out in defense of these law enforcement officers. Speak candidly. I am not trying to influence your opinion in any way, but we've had these officers now charged.

One of them charged with murder. My opinion charging them at all, I think, was ridiculous. But I would love to get your take. That's why I got you on the show. What are your opinions about Mr. Brooks and what happened in Atlanta? take. That's why I got you on the show. What are your opinions about Mr. Brooks and what happened in Atlanta? Yeah, I share all of your concerns. I watched the video only once. My heart really can't take much more than that. But the first and only viewing I had of it was like, well, this doesn't seem, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of nuance here. This is where this whole thing is going to, if Black Lives Matter, the hashtag, not this 501c3, if they don't rein this in, they're going to overplay their hand.

We're in extraordinary times where people are actually listening. Black Americans actually have the ear of the national psyche, so to speak. Black Americans actually have the ear of the national psyche, so to speak. But to overcorrect and say any incident that happens with a black person and a white police officer is automatically racism. If we take the teeth out of our law enforcement, that's not just bad for law enforcement. That's bad for us as a black community. I'll harken back to something that Tupac said before his death. Someone was asking him about violence in the Black community. And he said, listen, it's not just that it's a bunch of young Black thugs running around,

carrying guns, just eager to murder each other. When the police come into our communities, they see that we're at war. And so they come in with bulletproof vests and guns and billy clubs and tasers. That's because the people they're dealing with, that's what you need. Well, what do you think we're dealing with? What do you think the innocent, good Black people in these neighborhoods are dealing with? Some of us have to be armed because we're dealing with the same thing, only we don't get to deal with it with the arm of the law. dealing with the same thing only we don't get to deal with it with the arm of the law so obviously

black lives do matter when it comes to policing we we need our police i'm terrified that we're going to drive good people out of this profession because they're not going to be allowed to do the job they need to to do we can recognize that there's an issue with police brutality and over-policing, which is actually a policy issue. We can recognize that and have those discussions. But the idea that we're going to automatically assign murder to any police officer who, in the course of doing his job, unfortunately, has to exhibit this kind of force, this is a dangerous situation. These are dangerous games we are playing. And I absolutely do not believe that this officer should have been charged for murder for this. Not in any way.

I don't either. And what concerns me is, you know, listen, the Ferguson effect was very real. I mean, police officers are human beings with their own incentives. Everyone's a rational maximizer in their own respect. own incentives. Everyone's a rational maximizer in their own respect. And if they think anytime they have to go hands-on with a subject, that it may result in them and their families being lost as they go to jail and are prosecuted. Again, I'm not talking about the obvious instance, like the Floyd scenario. That's just outright sociopathology. I don't even know what... I watched that video even... It's interesting. Every time I watch it, I catch something new. And at one point, not to get

sidetracked here, but I noticed a couple of weeks ago on the video that there's, seems to be some like liquid coming out of the side of the, it looks like as this guy had this knee on his neck that he may have like, you know, relieved, relieved himself. I don't know any easy way to say it and it's like every time i watch it i'm not talking about that this there was national unity on that like listen no no and interestingly enough my cop friends they were the first ones telling me no no no no not today not no no big time Big time, fat, capital N-O. But my worry here is when you get in these gray area shootings like this,

where you see this 20-minute interaction in Atlanta, police officers being more than cordial. So is Mr. Brooks for a while. Hey, I know you're just doing your job. There's nothing wrong with this at all. It's actually pretty sedated, kind of boring police video. Then all of a sudden, boom, and that's what happens in the street. It goes down like that.

You're asking these guys to make split-second decisions, and then the after-hour commentary is absurd, Kira. Like someone said, well, he pointed the taser, and the guy knew it was the taser because the taser's yellow. Okay, have you ever been in a foot pursuit? When a guy sticks something in your face, number one, the cap of the taser is not yellow, it's black. And when you shoot it, it goes bang. So much so that when you ask officers in the street for witness statements, when they taser someone, a lot of witnesses will tell you, oh, he shot him. He didn't shoot him. He hit him with the taser. So again, people are

making assumptions that the cop even knew it was a taser. Not that that isn't bad enough to get a taser fired in your face. But you know what, what I, what I don't, and I'm sorry, this is a long winded question. My audience hates this too, but forgive me, but I really want your input when this, cause it matters to me. You know, if I can see it through other people's eyes in the community, I get it. People, some people have had bad experiences with cops. They've bought the media hype that there are cops hunting black men out there. It's just not true. There are bad incidents.

No one's hunting anyone, okay? But I'm in an attempt to see, what I don't get is people trying to see it through the cop's eyes. Like there was no good choice here. There was only a bad or a worse choice. There was no good choice. Letting him go, he's got a taser.

You may think that he could carjack someone, anything. He could shoot another round at you. I mean, I just don't understand why some people can't see it through his eyes to having lived in that uniform. It's a crap job. I was going to say something different, but I forgot we're on terrestrial radio now. It's a crap job. I didn't say the other word. That sounds like it. So your thoughts on that? It's a sugar job. Sugar, sugar. That's right. I hear you. My response would be for this in this incident. I think we're experiencing a case now where the loudest and angriest voices are being amplified. But many more people are on

the same side we're on, Dan, which is a reasonable, because I'm even looking at a lot of Black people, and I'm not, this may, it might surprise you to know that I don't know every Black person on the planet, but a lot of Black people that I know, my family and friends, have looked at this and said, well, you know, i understand the fear behind it or whatever but this is this ain't it like we this is not this this is not the hill to die on here and so and i've discussed that on my podcast too because i had some people write in when i discussed a george floyd case and say yeah well my husband's a police officer. And what about what he risks for our whole family every time he goes out? And now he's got to be worrying about political correctness in a time

when he really should be worrying about his life, about getting home to his family and the lives he's saving. So I feel the frustration. I sense the frustration. But I also sense that it's only the loudest voices that are leading this conversation right now. That's why it's very important for those of us who are willing to approach the subject with logic, reason and acceptance of the differences we might have on the subjects. We're the ones that need to keep putting ourselves out there. They keep need to be. We need to be honest about how we feel. We have to be fearless and forget about the haters.

They can't cancel you if they if you don't even recognize that you can be canceled and go out there. I don't care. That's where we're going to. That's where we're going to defeat this, Dan, is is by telling the truth about everything, about the things that make us uncomfortable and the things that affirm our worldview. We've got to tell the truth. Yeah, I think that's the best takeaway from this. I mean, you've had a there best takeaway from this. I mean, you've had a there's a lot here. I mean, maybe five school choice race relations, Trump. I mean, we really were everywhere with this. And I got Scott Turner coming up next from the White House. So that should be fascinating as a follow up. But I think your deepest insight was a good one. And I

think we all need to be willing to sit down and completely forfeit our right to be offended and have things said to us that'll put us in uncomfortable spots where we have to get through that digested come out on the other side and go you know what that wasn't that bad it really wasn't like i get it now i saw it maybe i didn't like to hear it and you know the other side of the debate as well and again i'm not i'm not even talking about just race i'm talking about you know politics too i mean i can get really testy at times with people on the left because I say all the time about the left.

I feel like, whereas people like you and I were a long time ago, at least me, you probably still are now. I've lost it a little bit. But where I was willing to debate ideas, the left automatically just thinks we're awful people. We think they're people with bad ideas. They think we're bad people with ideas.

And it's jaded me and I regret that. But but again we're having a conversation about being uncomfortable i'll give you an uncomfortable thought i'm no i'm no i'm not some model of perfection either and the left makes me really angry these days and i've you know jumped the gun on a lot of them on social media because i'm just furious at what they're doing to us it's's hard. You know, Kira, it's, it's just hard, man. It's hard to be, you know, called like a racist and a xenophobe 24 hours a day when you know, that's not in your heart. I mean, think about it, right? If you really were a racist, why would you care? Why would you even fight back on Twitter? You'd be like, great. You know, I can't, the reason it's so offensive to good conservatives and the ones I know is because it's just not true.

And it's just really hard to get that. And I'm not suggesting it's any harder than the experience of people in black America. I'm not comparing the two. I'm just saying from my experience, it's like a real punch in the gut because, you know, you don't feel that way. And, you know, you're trying to make a difference. Look at what you just had to do, Dan. Look at what you just had to do. You had to qualify that whole statement.

You had to stop yourself and to qualify that whole statement yeah yeah you had to stop yourself and explain yourself i did and say you know what you're right because i'm so used to being attacked by libs that i just don't want to give them any room to bring i don't want to give them that soundbite you know and you're right you're right it's not right but it's just you're right we've almost become uh we're playing on their battlefield and it's sad because you're right. You're right. It's not right. But it's just, you're right. We've almost become, we're playing on their battlefield. And it's sad because you're right. I did have to throw that qualifier because I refused to give him that soundbite. Look at poor Dan.

There's no poor Dan Bongino. God has blessed me beyond belief with a great family, a great house, the greatest job in the world, and the ability to speak to millions of people a week and great people like you. And so why put the quality? You're right, because the left dominates this battlefield. And I just refuse to give them one soundbite. I won't do it. You know, and so I'm glad you pointed that out, though.

That's what I like, but you're no BS. People have to do that a lot. I have to stop myself from doing that a lot because then it it sometimes it does take a little bit of the wind out of my sails i we all have to make a decision as to what we're willing to live with of how other people think of it of this but this is one thing i've talked about in the past too that um like the ahmaud arbery case a lot of folks dug in on that a lot of a lot of white conservatives dug in on that weren't willing to have a conversation wanted to pin like what was he doing the moment before but didn't want to talk about what the racist angle was and i posited that part of that is because white

conservatives especially have been asked to bear the burden of thousands of years of racism over and over again a lot of them are oversensitive. A lot of them are hypersensitive. So even to acknowledge racism sometimes feels like an accusation, even if it's not that. So we're dealing with ways that we've prevented ourselves from being honest with each other. And it's going to take perseverance and bravery for those people who aren't necessarily worried about being canceled to step forward and say, there is a larger conversation to be had here. And I refuse to acknowledge your completely unfounded biases about my character when you know nothing about me so squash it and let's deal with the issues i think the more confident you can come forward with that the more people will want to hear you but i hear you damn and i don't think you should have to apologize by the

way i don't think you should have to apologize for having your experience this is the thing we're doing we're saying we can't each have our own experience. I would hate it if someone, if a white person invalidated my black experience just because they don't live the life I live. I would never do that for anyone else. When my kids come to me and something has hurt them, my adult brain knows that it's silly and that in 40 years, they won't remember this little disagreement that they have with their friends and that this is not the worst thing that's ever, this breakup or whatever, it's not the worst thing that's ever going to happen to them. But if I come to them with that attitude, that immediately dismisses the reality that they are living right now. They don't have any other perspective. That is their reality. Just because I know there's something more beyond that doesn't invalidate

what they feel at that moment. And that's how we need to treat each other just because that's how you that's your reality dan doesn't mean that people like me or anyone can invalidate you and doesn't mean that i need qualifications for you to explain what your reality is it's your reality how dare anyone belittle that whether or not it's's on the same par, you suffered the same or didn't suffer as much as anyone else. It's yours. You have a right to express that reality. We can't shut that down in each other.

Man, you're deep, sister. I got to tell you. Seriously. You got me thinking. Yeah. I mean, I'm ready to go into Zen mode now and start digesting all this stuff. That was a heavy cover.

You may be, I'm not sure, but you may, this is, we have a twofer today. We got another interview and you may be the longest interview we've ever had. I really only, what did I tell you when I called you? I'm like, ah, it'll be 15 minutes. I think it's like 45 minutes now. So I'm really sorry we went over, but you're just awesome. So my deep appreciation for your time. We were talking here to Kira Davis. Kira,

thank you so much. Check out our podcast. Just listen to yourself and check out our work at Red State. Kira, great conversation. Thanks so much. See you soon. Stay tuned, folks. We got Scott Turner up next. All right. Thanks for your patience. We have another guest coming up, Scott Turner from the White House. It's going to be a fascinating conversation. Don't miss it. Today's show also brought to you by our friends at ExpressVPN. You've heard me talk about how important it is to have a VPN. You need one. Stay secure. Keep your prying eyes away from your data online. A lot of you are working from home now. It's really important to choose a VPN you trust. I can tell you who we trust. We research our sponsors. We trust ExpressVPN. We can say

that with full confidence. It's the best VPN on the market. ExpressVPN doesn't log your data. Lots of really cheaper free VPNs make money by selling your data to ad companies. ExpressVPN developed a technology called Trusted Server that makes it impossible for their servers to log on any of your info, to log any of your info. You don't want that. Speed, it's really fast. We've tried a couple different VPNs. They slow your connection down. You don't need that.

I've been using ExpressVPN for a while now in my house. We even have one of their routers down there. And my internet speeds are always blazing fast. Even when I connect to service thousands of miles away, you can stream HD quality videos with zero lag. Zero. Unlike other VPNs, ExpressVPN is super easy to use. You just fire up the app, click one button to connect. It's really that simple. Even your grandparents can use it. Hey, I can use it. Believe me, your grandparents know more than me about technology. I'm not just saying that. Wired, CNET, The Verge, and other technology journals rate ExpressVPN the number one VPN in the world. Protect yourself today with the VPN that we use here and we trust.

Protect your data from prying eyes. Use ExpressVPN. Go to expressvpn.com slash Bongino. Get an extra three months free on a one-year package. That's expressvpn.com slash Bongino. Expressvpn.com slash Bongino. Go today to learn more. Back to Scott Turner.

All right, welcome to part two of my interview series. I'm pleased to welcome Scott Turner, the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Scott, thanks for joining us on the Dan Bongino Show here. We appreciate it. Happy to be with you, Dan. Thank you. So Scott, I know this is on the Dan Bongino Show here. We appreciate it. Happy to be with you, Dan. Thank you.

So, Scott, I know this is an area, obviously, of great interest to you. You wouldn't be working with the Trump White House otherwise. If you could just, in a couple of moments here, just relay to us what the president is doing and his interest in servicing the needs of black Americans out there. You know, it's portrayed in the media one way. And I think inside the White House, the president's feelings about black America are far different than what the media talks about. I know that because I know the man myself. So if you would just give us some of those efforts, we'd be happy to hear it. Well, thank you, Dan. well thank you dan i mean the first example i have is the uh the opportunity i have to lead the white house opportunity and revitalization council you know the question came up during

the legislation of the tax cuts and jobs act you know the president said what can be done for the forgotten people of america or the forgotten communities of america and many of those communities are minority and black populated communities. And so when the Opportunity Zone legislation was created, the president created the council, you know, to streamline and target resources inside of the distressed communities. And so he has a heart for the minority community, for distressed communities, so that they can be lifted up and be self-sustainable with job creation, housing, and business ownership. And so when people say that there hasn't been

anything done for the Black community or the president has not done anything, I'm a living witness of the council that I lead, you know, that that is not the case. And if you look at the HBCU legislation and the permanent funding that the president has led or the low unemployment rate of black Americans and the higher salary rates, when you look at the health care from in the CARES Act, you know, the president directed Health and Human Services to put two billion dollars of resources directly into the black community for our community health centers so that people could get COVID tested and have access to healthy resources. And the list goes on and on as far

as the legislation and policies that have been put forth from the president inside of the black community. And the Opportunity Zones is a major initiative and a major importance up to the president. You think the message is getting through with all the fog out there, though? I mean, it's a pretty powerful media megaphone insisting on portraying the president. And listen, just to be clear, not all of I don't agree with all of these policies, but there definitely is an effort by the White House. Do you think the message is getting through? I mean, you're out there. You're inside the White House. You're talking to the president, the message is getting through? I mean, you're out there, you're inside the White House,

you're talking to the president, the vice president yourself. Your ear is right to the president's door. Do you think this message is getting out there to black America that this president's listening? Well, you are right. You know, and I have been with the president on multiple occasions on this subject. You know what can be done in distressed communities, also with the vice president. And they are not just listening, but they're acting. You know, we've been on listening tours. The policies have been implemented. We don't just talk about it, but there's things that are done about it. But, you know, a lot of people in America, black America and America as a whole have not heard about it. And if they have heard about it, you know, there's always something to be said. Yeah. But but I will say to all the listeners on your show, you know, the president

not only talks about it, the vice president not only talks about and the people in administration don't just talk, but there are actions done on a daily basis to improve the black community from education to health care, to entrepreneurship, economic development. And, you know, a lot of times, Danny, you notice all good deeds are not shouted from the rooftops. You know, and I know that, you know, good news doesn't sell media. I understand that. But I will tell you, being the leader of this council, I've been to over 60 cities in our country in distressed communities in the last year. 60 plus cities meeting with stakeholders and convening people from community leaders

and education leaders, faith leaders, business leaders together at the same table. Imagine that people across the political spectrum, across ethnicities coming together that have never been together to come up with solutions for long-term sustainability inside of distressed communities. And when I tell people,

you know, what my job and my assignment is, you know, oftentimes I say, well, man, I never heard of Opportunity Zones, you know, and I'm not any more surprised by it because I understand the media, but I will tell you that the work is being done and people are actually benefiting from the policies and the work that are being done. Yeah. I mean, I was watching an interview on on Fox not very long ago and they had Jim Clyburn on, obviously Democrat, one of the leaders in the House for the Democrats. And the interview, Scott, was stunning. I mean, Brett Baer did a fair interview with him and said, you know, well, listen, if we're going to talk about policies that have shown some support in the black community, One of them's criminal justice reform, which to be candid, I was not a supporter of, but that's for another day. And Clyburn acted like it never happened. I mean, it was just a stunning interview. Like, oh no, the president's not responsible for

that. It was the gist of what Clyburn said, which is just outrageous. It's just a lie. And that's why I ask you when you're talking to the president about this, It's just a lie. And that's why I ask you, when you're talking to the president about this, is he frustrated that this just doesn't seem to break through? And these arguments become almost insane. Like, of course, he signed criminal justice reform. Just go to a search engine and, you know, put it in there. It's really weird. Right. Yeah. It's called the First Step Act, right, for criminal justice. Right. Yeah, it's called the First Step Act, right, for criminal justice. You know, and many people in our country have benefited and been blessed because of the First Step Act, which the president, Donald Trump, signed into law. And when you talk about being frustrated, you know, I understand, you know, everybody, we all get frustrated when the good news is not propagated properly or when the good news is not shared the way it should be. You know, but I'm not, I don't let it discourage me to the point of no action. I continue with the same spirit. The president continues to,

people in the administration, man, from all levels of the administration, even through the frustration, have a, just a stalwart, you know, laser-focused attitude, because when we say that we want to help people inside of distressed communities, that not rhetoric that's not just campaign talk that's not a check the box we literally have our hands to the play on our feet on the ground man because people in this country matter and you know i was elected dan i served in the house of representatives so i get all the political rhetoric i get all the check the box up but i've never been about that man i'm about people you know and and i'm about the people of this country, you know, to benefit from the policies that are being put forth. So I understand, but, you know, we'll keep going, man. You're not going

to stop. Yeah, I've seen some of your media appearances. They're pretty spectacular. You really do a great job advocating on the president's behalf. I don't want you to get out in front of him. I don't want to put you in a bad spot here, but can we expect some other initiatives you'd be willing to give us a hint on initiatives directed either black or Hispanic community by the Trump administration, maybe coming down in the pipeline? I mean, anything on school choice, it's an issue very close to my heart. It means a lot to me. Anything on that? Yes. And it means a lot to me too. And a few days ago, the president announced a few policy proposals and changes that are coming.

He asked Secretary Carson, who is the chairman of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, of which I serve on, he asked Dr. Carson to broaden the council to include the whole of distressed communities. So revitalization from a holistic standpoint, including opportunity zones, so that as we recover out of this pandemic of the COVID-19, areas that we will be concentrating on are economic development and entrepreneurship, access to capital for minority businesses inside of distressed communities, access to healthy health care resources, including telehealth. And as you saw with the CARES Act, as I mentioned before, the money that was put forth, resources put forth, that people can have access to healthy resources. And also education choice is a major focus and initiative that the president just announced

because no child should be bound up, you know, from an education standpoint because of the zip code that they live in. Education is not a one size fit all. And, you know, our children are the next generation of leaders in this country. So education choice is a top priority for the president, for the administration, for us on the council, because we need to train our children properly.

And as Dr. Carson said, you know, now with this new focus, you know, children will have access to the best teachers due to virtual learning and distance learning. You know, and that teacher won't just be teaching 30 or 40 kids, but now she can teach, he can teach 300 or 3,000 kids. And so they'll have access to those resources.

So those three pillars the president has announced and has broadened the council. And so I'm glad you brought up school choice, man, because we need that. Parents have to have a choice to teach and send their kids to the best education for them. And in the black community, man, it is a huge deal. And they are very supportive of school choice. So thank you. Yeah, I mean, I'd make the case to you being a Florida resident.

It probably single-handedly changed the Florida gubernatorial election. I mean, Ron DeSantis ran hard on school choice and won by a sliver based on black female voters who turned out for him, at least, from the Republicans in record numbers for the Republican. You know, I read a statistic once by Jason Riley, writes for The Wall Street Journal about school choice. And I'll tell you, Scott, it really it rang my bell and I never forgot it. The statistic is this, that there are 20,000 public high schools in the country, and only 2,000 of those 20,000 schools are responsible for half the dropouts, these failure factories. If you happen to be black, you have a 50% chance of sending your kid to one of those failure factories. Now, listen, that's inexcusable.

That's an American issue. It's not a race issue. That's an American issue. It's not a race issue. That's an American issue. And you know, well, I mean, if I may introduce race, do it because, you know, fair game on this one. If these were middle class white communities that were subjected to these failure factories, they'd be burning the damn statehouse down in these places. And the fact that they're black communities largely run by liberals, the governance there and, you know, the leaders. And to be fair, some Republicans, even in Pennsylvania, that that bailed on him, you know, the leaders. And to be fair, some Republicans, even in Pennsylvania, that that bailed on him, you know, they seem to be ignoring this. And this is really absurd. These kids have no shot. That's right. And, you know, I'm often reminded, Dan,

from Secretary Carson, you know, a quality education will give a young person a head start in life. If they're properly educated, then they can make the decisions to use that education to do something with their life, to make something great out of their life. And as you know, when people are not educated, it's harder, and particularly today, to make it at least to prosper in this country. And so it is an American issue, because we have kids in rural areas of America that aren't receiving proper education. We have kids in the urban cities of America that aren't receiving the proper education. And I'm a big proponent of education and particularly school choice, because I know for me, my education was a catalyst for the rest of my life.

And so I'm with you and I will be a champion for this, for the young people in our country, because they are, like I said, the next generation of leaders that we have to, when we have this baton off this baton of leadership, they have to be properly educated and prepared. And we have to, when we have this baton off, this baton of leadership, they have to be properly educated and prepared. And you know what? Education doesn't just mean,

you know, the formal education that we think of. I'm talking about career and technical centers. I'm talking about education in the trades. But we have to give them that opportunity, you know,

that way to get in, a resource, if you will, to get those education for their life. And so I'm with you. Yeah, that that way to get in a resource, if you will, to get those education for their life. And so I'm with you. Yeah, that's right. We're talking to Scott Turner, executive director of the White House's Opportunity and Revitalization Council. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back on the other side of this. Stay tuned. Finally, our show is brought to you by our friends at AMAC. Listen, we live in trying times. Being conservative puts us under fire, unfortunately, but we're not alone.

One group stands out. That's AMAC, the Association of Mature American Citizens. AMAC is a conservative alternative to the other 50-plus groups out there. Joining AMAC not only gives you access to money-saving benefits like special group rates on car insurance, cell phone plans, financial products, and more, but an AMAC membership also gets you a great bi-monthly magazine filled with content analysis not available anywhere else. AMAC gives you what the mainstream media won't, the truth. If you care about our future as much as I do, join AMAC today. Don't wait. These other groups aren't on our side. AMAC is. Help them fight for individual liberty, free speech, freedom of religion, free markets, a solvent nation, and the values we all hold dear.

Over 2 million people have joined AMAC. I encourage you to stand with them by joining AMAC today at amac.us. That's A-M-A-C.us. The benefits are great, but the cause is even greater. AMAC.us. That's A-M-A-C.us. AMAC is better, better for you, better for America. Now back to our interview with Scott Turner. All right, we're back with Scott Scott Turner Executive Director of the White House's Opportunity and Revitalization Council so we were talking about school choice before the break and I'm glad you feel strongly about that and I just, just one more question

I'm sorry I don't want to beat this beat this thing to death here but it means a lot to me, do you think the President feels as strongly about it as you and I do I mean you have his ear, does he understand how powerful an issue this really is? He absolutely does. And he's for it a hundred percent. And the people around him are also for it. You know, he's had conversations with people about this to learn, you know,

about it and hear from various stakeholders about it. So yes, he supports it. Great. What do you do with a lot of these communities? And I don't want to get into any politics, but they're run by people, some who just don't like the president. How do you get past that political friction you have in some of these big cities? And I mean, it's not a guess they don't like the president. Some of them have been public and have said really horrible things. How do you get past that? Let's say in communities like Baltimore and elsewhere, largely minority cities that were ironically once some of the wealthiest cities in America that have just been in decline for decades. Sadly, there's been a mass evacuation out of these cities. How does the president and you on the council, how do you get past that,

that friction and get in there and say, listen, can we put all the politics aside for a minute? We really want to help here. I mean, is he doing that or is he just meeting a wall of resistance? No, we are. And you're not going to hear about it in the media. And I mentioned to you those 60, 65 cities that I've been to with the council across the country inside of distressed communities convening these stakeholders. And many times in these meetings, you know, it's not always Republican. Very rarely. I mean, I meet with a lot of Democrat mayors, Democrat leaders, also Republican leaders. Democrat leaders, also Republican leaders But the message is, when I go in, Dan, the message is this The spirit of this law for Opportunity Zones

Which impacts distressed communities 100% The spirit of it is economic development As well as community development And when you look at economic development and job creation, you look at the expansion or the creation of new businesses, it doesn't matter if you're Democrat or Republican. It doesn't matter if you're black or if you're white or if you like the president or not.

Poverty does not care what you look like. We are all impacted by poverty directly or indirectly. Poverty doesn't have a party. And so that's my message when I come in. I said, listen, my heart is the eradication of poverty in this city. And you would be just amazed at how that message from a loving heart, from the proof of we know there's pain here, the proof of the council is here, this policy is set forth by the President of the United States, President Trump. And then the proof of we're going to strategize together

for long-term sustainability in your community. That's how we do it, because we all are impacted. And so that and that resonates with people, Dan, it really does. And, you know, I'm sad that you don't hear about it on the news, but I've lived it and I see it. Yeah, me too, Scott. I mean, me too. And you and I have been around the president and, you know, this isn't some like self-praise moment here, but he's a very charming guy in person who deeply cares and is very empathetic. I mean, I don't say that. I don't worship golden calf politicians. I got no interest in doing that. But I've been around him enough. He deeply cares. And it's really sad because it pollutes this national dialogue we should have with just unnecessary nonsense. Let me ask you an exit question. You've been very generous with your time and I appreciate it here. But when you're there and you're in these opportunity zones and you're in these cities,

you know, some of them run by the opposition political party from the president. There's this friction there. Do you ever have to call back to the White House and ask the president to personally get involved and say, listen, if you could just make this call, that would be great. And the only reason I asked Scott is because I know how charming he can be. And really a lot of the stuff that people believe about the president of the United States, if they met him in person, I think they'd be like, gosh, that's not the same guy I thought he was. Like he can really be a charmer. And I'm wondering if you've ever called him and like, Mr. President, you really need to call this mayor or whatever and make him, if you ever needed that, if you don't want to answer, I understand, but it'd be, my audience would love it.

No, that's a great question because, you know, I've spent a lot of time with him as you have. And, you know, he's always pleasant to be around and he's a good listener. And he wants to know, you know, what's on your heart? You know, I was just there a couple of weeks ago in the Oval Office with him, myself and a few other black leaders in the administration. And he said, I want to hear from you guys and ladies about, you know, what can we do better? And so I've been in those conversations, but as far as having to call him out of these 60 or 70 trips thus far, I haven't had to call him yet because people have been very kind and welcoming. They really have across the board because the message again is, man, look, we're coming here to serve people.

And that has resonated with the hearts of the people in our country from leadership on down to community leaders. And I'm really grateful for that. And the other thing is the president is 100 percent behind this initiative. That's why he created the council. And so I haven't had to call him yet. I hope I don't have to, but I know he would talk to him if I needed him. You know, Scott, that's really great to hear. And I'm really convinced you get it. You know, when I ran for office in Maryland, it has one of the largest populations of black Democrat voters anywhere. I obviously ran as a Republican, but I'll never forget going to a lot of events that had a lot of black or Hispanic voters, whatever it may be. And one thing I heard more than once was, listen, I may vote for you.

I may not, but thanks for showing up and showing up matters. And you showing up in these things personally, as a representative of the Oval Office and the president of the United States really matters. So I want to thank you on behalf of my listeners and everyone else, because I've seen you in your media appearances. they're really stellar and you've done a great job getting the message out. And we really appreciate it. Hey, Dan, thank you. I want to say also thank you for your support and helping with spreading the message. I really appreciated that from you. And it's just an honor to be with you today. And thank you for your advocacy. And thank you for your expertise

and your voice to the American people. And you're a great teacher. And you've obviously had great experience in life. Thank you for serving our country in the many ways you have. But I really wanted to just let you know that without your support and voices like yours, and particularly your voice today, this would be a lot harder. Because we can only reach a certain amount of people, but you help us to reach millions of people across our country.

And I would like to say as I leave, and thank you for having me on your show, I would say to the American people that it's time to rise up together because we have children and grandchildren that are coming behind us. And every word we say, every action we take, they are watching and they are listening and they will be shaped and formed by what we say and do. And we have to ask ourselves, what kind of America do we want our children and grandchildren to live in? And so I think for all of us here in America, man, across the board, if we need to rise up together and take care of business and love each other, no matter if we look the same or if we believe the same, we've got to love each other and encourage one another.

leave the same. We got to love each other and encourage one another. Speak firmly, you know, in truth, be gracious and merciful because we have the greatest country in the world and we need to keep it that way. Amen, Scott. That's why America loves you. So thank you for the kind words. Thanks for your time. Scott Turner, folks, executive director of the White House Opportunity Revitalization Council. Scott, again, thanks for your time time we'll talk to you soon thank you sir you just heard dan bongino