The Dan Bongino Show - The Dan Bongino Sunday Special 11/27/22

Episode Date: November 27, 2022

Live from the Patriot Awards in Hollywood Florida on Nov. 17th Dan welcomed a lot of guests. First we talk with the host of the Patriot Awards, Pete Hegseth on why this event is important and what it means to be able to do this. Then we talked with Joey Jones, who exemplifies what the Patriot Awards means, talking about his story, and why it’s important to hear the stories of these patriots. Then, we talk to Dan's dad, about the effects on a family when a member makes the ultimate sacrifice, then he pulls back the curtain on Dan's childhood. Next is Tyrus, talking about his life, wrestling, and how to make the country better. and finally we talked with Dave Rubin about the state of our politics today and why Florida is succeeding under Ron DeSantis. 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 thanks for tuning in to this special sunday podcast we like to feature and highlight interviews from the radio show here but today's show is extra special today we're going to feature the interviews we did live from the patriot awards we got great feedback on it which you can still watch on fox nation by the way we'll get to this Patriot Awards. We got great feedback on it, which you can still watch on Fox Nation, by the way. We'll get to this first one after a word from this sponsor. We have a new sponsor I'm really excited to tell you about, Windshield Wow from Wow Auto Parts.

I use it. It's amazing. Appropriately named because I said wow the first time I used it on my windshield. The Windshield Wow is an ingenious windshield cleaning device. It uses two magnetic cleaning paddles. They're super strong. You have one on the outside and one on the device. It uses two magnetic cleaning paddles. They're super strong. You have one on the outside and one on the inside.

It cleans both sides of your windshield. I mean, what good is it to clean one side, right? And it does it all from the outside. All you do is push around the outside paddle, and the inside follows and cleans the inside automatically. It's the cleanest my windshield's been in a long time. I get a lot of bugs and debris on it down here in Florida. No more struggling to clean the inside. The windshield wow applies the firm cleaning pressure for you and is super thin

to get into those tiny dash areas. I like my windshields clean. Obviously I want to see what's going on. Haze and film builds up on both sides causing dangerous glare. Windshield wow is the fastest and least hassle way to get super clean streak free and safe windshield. Paula and I were so impressed we got two went for her too. Go to windshieldwow.com to get super clean, streak-free, and safe windshield. Paula and I were so impressed. We got two, one for her too. Go to windshieldwow.com to get this ingenious cleaning device now. That's windshieldwow.com, windshieldwow.com. Use Bongino at checkout for a special discount. That's windshieldwow.com.

Thanks, Windshield Wow, for being our newest sponsor. Love the product. First up today, we talk with the host of the Patriot Awards, my good friend Pete Hegseth, on why this event is important and what it means to be able to do it and honor these Patriots. I'm not even going to tell you who the guest is yet, but let me ask him a question first,

and let me see if you can just detect by his voice. Would you ever guest host my show if I asked? I would love that. You would be so awesome. I would be beyond honored. That would be, you got that on the record sabrina paula to where's theresa theresa pete said he would guest host the show i want that on the record okay so i mean i can't even believe i'm on the list of course are you kidding me well i just gave away

who it is if you're watching on fox nation you already know it's my good buddy pete hank said he's always kind enough to do my fox show. And now, because it's the Patriot Awards, which you are hosting for the fourth year in a row, is on tonight. And, you know, you get a lot of these dopey questions. What does it mean to you? But with this event, really, I know as a veteran yourself, this event has really special meaning for you, doesn't it? The same way it has meaning for you.

And I'm going to say this a little bit tonight. When I stand on that stage, my mind always immediately goes to the guys I serve with. You know, you and I get the applause. We get the spotlight. Get thanked a lot. They very rarely get thanked. And so tonight's an opportunity to project that spotlight back toward them. Whether it's vets, whether it's law enforcement first responders

people who support them so it's my favorite assignment you know humbling though super humble we're there you know i did my thing you were you were a veteran you did your thing and you know we we both love this country so much but you're next to these guys and these women who did these just incredibly almost superhuman things to get these awards. And you're like, what the hell have I done? I talked for all of you. Do you ever get that feeling? Yes, and some are still doing it.

One of the guys you'll meet tonight, wait till you see what he's, you know, we have a disaster on our southern border, but not because of this dude. And when you see what he does every single day, it blows your mind. So these great patriots never get the recognition. We give it to them. It's pretty cool to be a part of. We're talking to Pete Hegseth, American Patriot, hosting the Patriot Awards tonight.

I'm live here with him. He was the guest I asked first because he did it last year, and he was kind enough to come on and spend some time with us. So your thoughts quickly. Pelosi announced today she's not going to run for leadership. Now, Pete, you know, you're all tatted up. Yeah. All right.

Wait, wait. Again, we have to do this again. Applause for the audience. Again, folks, this is not the Roots Convention. It's the Patriot Awards. So Nancy Pelosi is not running again. Your thoughts. Okay.

Thank you. Again, that's better. So had to do that one more time. We needed a redo. So she has been a one-woman wrecking ball for liberty and freedom. And thankfully, we got some good news. We won back the house. It looks like she's finished in that position.

Yes. You know what? I was heartened a couple hours ago watching Fox, James Comer and others holding that press conference talking about Hunter Biden and the big guy. It was kind of the first realization I had of how important that takeover was. The ability to have other people behind the podium with power, and it seems like they're prepared to do something about that. Finally. I mean, and finally, let's hope the Pelosi era is completely done.

Maybe this is a precursor to that whole era shifting. Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi. Problem is what's behind it is worse. So it's not as if we're going to. I mean, Hakeem Jeffries or whoever else is coming after Nancy Pelosi. I mean, she was she's a radical. We know that they're like real. Yeah.

AOC and Corey Bush don't even like her. They don't even like. They don't think she's radical enough. For them. So, yes, don't even like her. They don't even like her. They don't think she's radical enough. She was insufficient for them. So, yes, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Yeah. But what's behind you is terrible. So it's a temporary pause to something that's worse.

I want to get to something I know ticks you off as much as it does me, is ballot harvesting. But I asked Carol Markowitz and Tyrus both. There's an article in The Washington Times by Mark Lotter today about this political realignment. And he says the obvious. It wasn't the greatest election for us. You and Tyrus both. There's an article in the Washington Times by Mark Lotter today about this political realignment. And he says the obvious. It wasn't the greatest election for us. You and I know this. But it wasn't horrible. I mean, we took back the House

and the big gains in New York. And he's trying to make the point that political realignments happen slow. California went deep blue over time. Reagan was a governor there. You know, New York had a three-term Republican governor. Now it looks like it's lost. But his point is between Hispanic voters, Asian voters, working class voters, Muslim voters in Detroit, the school board rebellion, that you're probably three quarters of the way through

a big realignment over to the Republican Party. Your thoughts on that? I think you're right. I think this last election, even if it didn't go the way we had hoped, was a sanity recognition moment where the left can't hide how radical they really are, all the way we had hoped was a sanity recognition moment where the left can't hide how radical they really are all the way down to the sexual orientation of your kids right and and it hits people right where they're at old allegiances shift over time you mentioned ballot harvesting yeah i'm hot on this i am too i i haven't i've not heard you speak on it so i don't know where you are on it so i'm just gonna come at you with my take. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me hear it. Pete is hijacking the show, folks.

The show has been retitled The Pete Hanks Show with guest Dan Bongino. Okay, Pete, you can question me. I'll be the host. No, no. I want to know where you stand. My thought is, obviously, it should be Election Day. It should be voter ID. All those things. That's what I want.

But if this is how the system's going to be, if this is the system we got and it's legal, then we better harvest better than them. Okay? All right. Everywhere we go, just bags of ballots from people. So this is my producer. Did I not say that just yesterday? You said exactly that.

Thank you. I say the same thing. Well, we're all a day behind Dan Bongino. Give me some grace. Remember we had the caller? i had a caller yesterday i i think the name was chris or it was a woman it was chris mike and she's like her point was the opposite that listen we shouldn't do any of this because we're sanctioning it i said chris listen i love you to death i am so with you ballot harvesting sucks it is the biggest kick in the junk ever i get it but it's like you go into a boxing

ring you think you're in a boxing match right the ref leaves a cage drops down and the guy goes by the way it's a chainsaw match and you go oh no no i want my gloves he's gonna cut your freaking head off i agree with you if we're stuck with this junk system at least for now until we can change it we damn well better go harvest the hell out of our guys, too. Wait until we do it better than they do, and then they start yelling about voter ID. Yeah. I mean, look in Florida. No, that will happen.

It did happen. Oh, listen to this. Here, I'm going to read this to you. This is a quote from the New York Times. Folks, New York Times, 2012. It's so accurate. When they lost the Bush v. Gore election, right, and a lot of them were mail-in votes from the military.

The New York Times crapped their diapers about mail-in. It's right here, 2012, Adam Liptak, error and fraud at issue as absentee voting rises. I want to read you this last line. They did a study of mail-in voting. They said an overall failure rate in mail-in voting of 21%. This is when we were winning. So folks, I'm telling you, Pete is right. If we're stuck with this crap system, then we better master it,

kick their asses with it, and then they'll change their mind. Bring bags of bags. Every church, every gun show, every construction site, I don't care where you are. We're signing up people to vote, and then we're handing them, you know, here's what we think about the candidates. Take a look. What do you think? Oh, you like that? Okay, good. All legal, all above board, can't stand it, but we're going to do it.

There is no better way to stiff them with this thing than to make it work against them. But, yeah, her point, and I get it, is that ballot harvesting is a disaster because you're right, they are just really good at it. You know, they've got a lot of the union vote, although we're taking a lot of it. They've got these activist groups. And Pete, you know, you and I ran for office, so we've got some perspective on this. You can vouch for me here. Money is almost as positive in elections.

I mean, they just crushed us with money. Every single Senate race, we got murdered with money. And it matters. I wish it didn't, but it does. Oh, it does matter. Because I went into the polling place in Tennessee where we're voting in person, same day, show your ID. And I looked around and I realized most of the people in here are not Fox viewers. They're not cable news viewers.

They're not watching the 24-7 news cycle. But they're doing their civic duty to go vote because they're good Americans. And I realized, but they've been inundated with ads so if you're not watching fox or even cnn or msbc you're watching your local news and you're getting six weeks of bombardment of slick ads that portray people that does have an impact over time when people are making decisions on candidates they otherwise know nothing they don't know. Because they're living their life and leading their family. It's a matter of pure math, Pete.

We're talking to Pete Hegseth, host of Fox & Friends this weekend. You know him, you love him. He'll be hosting the Patriot Awards tonight. It's pure math. So Talkers magazine estimates this audience is 8.5 million. My podcast is about a million two. And my Fox show is a million five. I get beaten on Saturday regularly by the show called

Fox and Friends. I can't stand the cast. They're just terrible. I lose it. I don't know what's going on. I want them fired immediately. It's because our 9 a.m. guest is so good. He's awesome. He's very handsome. He's very handsome and well spoken too. So you do the math.

My audience alone is probably 10, 11 million people. That's why I tell everyone on the radio show. And I know you do too, that it's not good enough for you to listen. I love you. My audience is, you are ferociously loyal to me and Pete show, but it's not about us. You have to go and grab 10 people and vote too, or we're never going to win. just don't have the the money to penetrate the market like the left does no and you we can't count on election day anymore because there's any number of excuses why someone may not end up voting oh my kids thing went a little long or i sat in line at the grocery store too long brother so they don't or maricopa county happens or maricopa county happens and then they go into box three and they're shipped over to phoenix and

they get counted a week later like who knows but when you're when you're walking up to people over a six-week period and reminding them you can vote and all you have to do every day just just hand it right back here you go and i'll make sure it gets to the secret special place yeah that beats ballots beat voters because ballots are what they count. And we have to go at ballots. And ballots and votes are not the same thing. I was talking about this piece that's in Conservative Treehouse. The guy makes that point. Ballots and votes are not the same thing.

If you master the art of harvesting and you're going to ship out, according to the New York Times in 2012, listen to this. They shipped out 35.5 million votes in this 2012 piece. Only 27.9 million were counted. This is where the guy gets this 21% failure rate. It's not the same thing. They've mastered it. We've got to master it, too.

Yeah, we do. There's no excuses. Do we want to win or not? Yeah, that's the point. And it's a RealPolitik thing, man. I love the rules to be the way we want them to be, but they're sadly not right now. They're not.

And we've got kids, man. You've got more than me. You've got a lot. But we all have skin in the cake. By the way, your kids are incredibly well-behaved. Rachel's wedding, holy Moses. They hung in there. They hung in there.

We would have torn that place. That was a beautiful place. It was a beautiful place, but you know they were playing football outside. Were they? Yeah, with another, against some, this is kind of a funny story. We're at a wedding.

They're playing football outside at a country club, and some of the country club kids come up And they're like oh in in their uniforms and everything wanting to play this with the wrong my kids They weren't having I took them down and then a nice fancy pants country club shirt you got there But there any lawsuits involved no okay good. You're okay. Okay? I would I tell you what I would have been playing football inside if it was me at a wedding with my brother We would at Tornado Pete exit. we'll see you tonight at Patriot Watch. You're a good man.

Thanks a lot for coming in. Folks, there you go. Always a round of applause for the great Pete Hegseth. Folks, stay tuned. I've got a lot more ahead. I'll give you the title and article, too, about ballots versus votes if you want to read it. We'll be right back. If you're in the market for a rifle, shotgun, or revolver, you'll want to go with the best in the business.

And as far as I'm concerned, that's Henry Repeating Arms. You'll be amazed by their quality craftsmanship and buttery smooth action that makes them a pleasure to shoot. Mine were accurate right out of the box and they've been reliable ever since. The best way to learn about Henry Repeating Arms 200 models is to go to henryusa.com and order their free catalog. The catalog is a great guide to showcasing their made in America firearms. Plus you'll get free dec decals a list of dealers in your area and a great newsletter henry's are backed with a lifetime warranty for 100 satisfaction they're made in america or they won't be made at all and if you have questions you can call the reward winning customer service department to speak with an expert who can help you make sure you go to henryusa.com to order their free catalog and

decals that's henryusa.com to order a free catalog and decals. That's henryusa.com to order a free catalog and decals and to learn more about this great American company. activities, and challenges while supporting environmental causes. After seven years, the adventure continues with our immersive travels feature. Explore distant cultures and engage in exciting experiences. There's always something new to discover. Are you ready? Download June's Journey now on Android or iOS. That was Pete Hegseth. Up next, we talk to hero and patriot Joey Jones and a surprise special guest after that. Let me get to my next sponsor first.

Christmas is coming. If you're looking for a really special gift, I encourage you strongly to check out the firearms made right here in America by my friends over at Henry Repeating Arms. Best lever action rifles and shotguns in the business, hands down. When someone gives you a Henry rifle, you're giving them a work of art that's built with the finest craftsmanship I've ever seen. I have the law enforcement tribute one up on my wall. I love it. Henry rifles performance top notch. Mine were accurate right out of the box.

They shoot straight and smooth. They've been reliable ever since. I beat mine up pretty good. Start by going to HenryUSA.com. Order their free holiday gift guide. They'll mail it to you with free decals you can use for stocking stuffers. One of the things I like the most is that these firearms are family heirlooms. They can be passed down to future generations.

They are that reliable. I have the 44 carbine, the 45-70. They're amazing. They'll always be backed by the company's lifetime satisfaction guarantee. So if you're looking for the best gifts this Christmas and you want to put something made in America under the tree, go to HenryUSusa.com. Henryusa.com.

Order their free gift guide and decals today. That's henryusa.com for a free gift guide and free decals. You're going to love this company. Here's Joey Jones who exemplifies what the Patriot Awards are really about, talking about his story in combat. He lost his legs in combat for us fighting overseas and why it's important to hear the stories of these other Patriots as well.

Then we talked to my father, yes, Dad Bongino, about the effects on a family when a member makes the ultimate sacrifice. Then he pulls back the curtain on the Dan Bongino childhood. This is going to be interesting. Take a listen. All right, welcome back.

So again, the best part of being at the Patriot Awards is you get the best guests because they're here in person. This is a real genuine American hero. If you're watching on Fox Nation, you're seeing him. This is a guy I have so much respect for. I got limited time, so I want to get right to him. Joey Jones. Joey, thanks so much for spending some time with us here.

We really appreciate it. Thanks for inviting me on. You could literally have just about anybody you want. You asked me to come on, so I appreciate that. Joey, listen, Sabrina, right? Joey is like at an open invite. This guy, folks, gave pieces of himself. I mean, literally for our freedoms. And it's always such an honor to talk to you.

So we're at the Patriot Awards. I mean, obviously an event to you that is extra special meaning given everything you've given to this country. I mean, you look at some of the folks. I mean, Fox & Friends had one of our award recipients on this morning who literally took a drunk driver head-on in her State Patrol SUV to stop that driver from hitting an on-foot race on that highway. I mean, in her mind in that moment, she probably wasn't going to make it. And you're talking about a hero. That's a patriot. That's somebody that loves their country, i.e., their countrymen, more than themselves.

Well, Joey, I want to talk about your story for a second. I got a few minutes with you here. So, you know, you're in theater. You're in EOD tech. You find your function. Afghanistan. You're in Afghanistan. And you're working on.

You know, you said something. You said find your function. The reason why I said that is that the bomb techs for the Secret Service come from the military. And at that point, we don't have a chance to do all the things we do in Afghanistan. We literally walk through a room and we find it or we function it before the VIP comes through. But think about that. Wait, folks, think about the mission. Find the bomb or function it while you're there. Like nobody asks you to do that in any other job.

Like, nobody asks you if you're pouring concrete at a bridge, like, fix it or jump in it. Like, it doesn't work that way. So this happens and this goes off. And just describe the moment so people understand the horrors of what you had to go through. Yeah, well, the first thing, you know, I don't have enough time to tell the whole story, but I'll tell you this. A couple weeks before, I showed up just as a guy named Doc Wood had lost both of his legs and been taken away. And the Marines were talking about how Doc Wood was guiding them through helping him out because he was a corpsman. He didn't make it. And I learned

that he wasn't trying to save his life. He was trying to keep those Marines calm. And so my thought was, if that ever happens to me, and as a bomb tech at that point, it's not if, but when and how bad, could I do something like that? Could I at least not make the situation worse? And when you get hit like that on your legs, it doesn't knock you out. You're lucid. And so for me, it was trying to keep my... So you remember this when it happened. Absolutely.

You're not unconscious. And you just try to assess what's happened. You try to keep yourself calm so that you can keep them calm, because the guys that come to work on you need to be calm to help you. I looked down. My legs weren't there. I reached up to grab a tourniquet. And when I reached my arm up, my hand stayed in my lap.

It had severed the inside of my arm. And that's the moment where you're like, okay, I've got a punctured lung. My face is swollen from the inside out. I'm losing three limbs. You need to go work on the next guy. And so, you know, make sure Greer's okay. So when a guy gets to me, and this is, if I tell a sad story, I tell a funny story. The guy gets to me and starts working on me, and I say,

hey, man, I don't know how this is looking. Let's say the Lord's Prayer. So it was something like, our Father who art in heaven, with liberty and justice for all. And I'm like, we've got to realize. He understands. God understands, I'm sure. It's intent, not execution.

But, you know, obviously we got through it. Joey, man, you can find humor in losing both of your legs as a bomb tech. It really speaks to the man you are. Really, I'm almost like having you on the show for me is tough because I'm always so humbled. I always think when I see guys like yourself, no, no, I mean it. I know you're humble, but I think, like, well, what the hell have I done? Like, I've never taken a bomb blast for my country. You know what you've done?

You've done a hell of a lot more than a lot of people. And that's something that you cannot, you cannot turn your face away from that. You got to be proud of it because it's not about Dan. It's not about Joey. We get all the accolades and all the adulation. There are tens of thousands of men and women that have done exactly what we've done that we cannot let people forget about them. Yeah. And that's the purpose of, yeah. Thank you. See, we got a live studio for the first time ever. Joey, I know you got to run, but I just want to get your thoughts on something. The missile that landed in Poland, a lot of mystery about this. You're getting, I said yesterday to my audience, I believe nothing. I believe evidence. And I've heard 25 different

stories. As a bomb tech, it cannot be that hard to figure out where it came from. There's clearly going to be some shrapnel or evidence left. Absolutely. 100%. I don't know if our men and women can get to it. I would imagine in Poland they can. I know that we have them in Ukraine already. And my perspective on this is that the way the munitions have changed custody and not been tracked, we're going to have a problem for a decade or more to come. We have teams of civilians and military out acquiring ordinance off of the black market, out of places that nothing that we have ever made should ever be. And the intelligence that can be gathered off that is insane. So yes, this is quite an incident.

Did Russia send it? Did Ukraine send it? Is NATO going to war? But the long-term repercussion is what of our ordinance has Russia gotten a hold of? Because we have not tracked this properly and we've had cities exchange who is in charge of it so many times in this war. There has to be U.S. ordinance, probably now new stuff that could end up in the wrong hands and that's the problem. And that's why Congress needs to stay on them about tracking this and making sure we know the chain of custody. And don't we have to be, and it's gotten worse since you and I were kids, don't we have to be very cautious of the propaganda war?

There's a real war. There's a hot war going on right now. But I tell everyone, 24 hours, just calm down, because if you take the first story, you'll probably be throwing a curve. The ghost of Kiev. The island of... Adam Kinzinger fell for that, the ghost of Kiev story. Well, I mean, Adam...

That's true. Bad example. Bad example. And here's the deal. None of those take away from the atrocity that's happening to the people in Ukraine. It doesn't make you against them or even the Ukrainian government. But as an American, American interests first. That's our blood and our treasure.

And both of them are on the line right now. Well, you've given both. Johnny, Joey, Jones, thank you, brother. Thanks for your service to the country. Really appreciate it. Folks, I mean, that's a real hero there. I mean, think about it. Imagine losing.

Hopefully you never have to imagine this, but imagine losing the lower portion of both of your legs to an explosive while you're serving in Afghanistan, protecting your fellow troops over there, right? Your fellow Marines in Joey's case, right? And he tells the story on the air, and he finds humor in it. Like, that's the kind of character these guys have.

It's incredible. It's a humbling experience. And, you know, I get all choked up, Mike. You know, but this is why, you know, when I'm on the air, and it's a very limited portion of the audience, and I get it. I understand, you know, a lot of you are upset about what happened. I totally get it. You're not wrong.

What happened, it could have been better. It wasn't terrible, but it could have been better. Wasn't terrible, but it could have been better. I get it. But it's guys like Joey. Now, does it kind of make more sense? You know, why me and you, why we're so passionate about this place? There are people who've given everything, their limbs, their lives, their families will never, ever be the same.

Ever. Ever. Ever. Hey, Dad. Dad. Dad, hold on. I'm going to do something. Dad, come here a sec. Sit down.

Come here. I'm going to put my father on the show. Yeah, come on the show. Say hello to the audience. How you doing? There. I'm going to ask you a question. I'm talking about a very kind of sensitive topic, but you would know.

When mom lost Greg, you know, when they lost Greg, that changed everything with the family, right? Yes, it did. There was a sadness, an air of just sadness that you didn't mention anything, but you knew it was there. So no one talked about it, but it was always around us. Yeah, like grandma, grandma right so we lost my uncle greg i obviously wasn't alive my mother's older brother lost him heroically died got shot in the back in vietnam i i'm i'm not giving up on this country like he didn't either and and guys like joey jones who lost their legs folks people have given everything families

now you i mean you you probably know grandma, God rest her soul. Not your mother, obviously, Mom's mom. But you know her better. You knew her longer than I did. She was never the same after that. No, she was never the same. You know what it is? We always know of another person. Something happened to that person.

But it never happens to us. It's always the other until we're the other. And then all of a sudden it really hits instead of a story you're telling about someone else it's a story you're telling about yourself yes and when grandma died again she was your mother-in-law I mean she she was she would die with a broken it wasn't just like she got over it after I mean 20 years later you still couldn't mention the fact that we lost uncle Greg. She would start crying like she couldn't take it.

Right, yeah. It always, again, was an air around it. Like I said, something unsaid but always there. So it's true because it's such a traumatic thing that you just, you're just so sad because now you're that person. And you don't even want people to mention it of course because then you relive it and no one wants to relive that of course

talking to the most important guest we've ever had is a very special person very internationally known a man of mystery he's 008 not 007 dad I got a few minutes this is my father John Bongino I did not plan on him being either did he he was talking to Paul I'm like dad, Dad, come on over. Sit down.

There we go. So, thank you. Tell the audience a little bit. We got a few minutes left here. So, you're a natural on the radio by the way. Well done. I appreciate that. Paul, imagine he sucked and he was terrible. He'd be like, Dad, get out of here. You're terrible. You're killing my audience. I'll have a podcast next week.

Yeah, he will. I will. The Kitchen Table with John Bongino. We'll steal Rachel's a podcast next week. Yeah, he will. I will. The Kitchen Table with John Bongino. We'll steal Rachel's name from their show. So growing up, right? So the audience has an idea of how I was. Like we were down in Smithtown. Mom said I used to sit in a room a lot and do puzzles by myself. I was kind of a loner.

Is that true? Or is she making this up? Is that gaslighting? Danny was very quiet. He literally would sit in the living room. We would give him puzzles and literally hours on end sit there and do it so now you're thinking like what happened then that you know yeah right you thought i'd be shy right but he really he really was that way this quiet little kid who would just

sit there so it is amazing what you see now of course and and and when i played soccer when i was younger i really sucked right you can tell the audience. I was no good, right? Yeah, the best part was when they handed out the oranges. Yes, I was first in line. I was first in line for them oranges and the cold water. Hey, John, I was going to get John Kropinski here, too. That was awesome, the oranges. But one more thing.

I did a lot of puzzles, and I love James Bond movies, correct? So it wasn't a surprise to you when I wound up in the Secret Service? No, no, it wasn't a surprise at you when I wound up in the Secret Service. No, no, it wasn't a surprise at all. It was almost like you went from one thing. I remember even when you were in New York NYPD, you always wanted to go to another level. You knew that was step one, not the end step.

It was actually the first step. Wait, wait, one more thing, two more things, because you're in my next book too, by the way. My father just found out. He's in my next book. Don't worry, it's very good, I promise. No Two more things, because you're in my next book, too, by the way. My father just found out. He's in my next book. Don't worry. It's very good. I promise.

No deep, dark, dirty secrets. I don't have them. But a couple of things. So do you remember the conversation in Aunt Sue's basement? We were talking to Jimmy. Jimmy was staying down there at the time. That's my other brother. And I wanted to go in the FBI.

Do you remember you brought me the brochure for the Secret Service? You're like, Danny, you got to check this out, brother. Well, you didn't say brother, but you get the point. Yes, and the reason why they considered them, well, I still consider them the best of the best. And that's, if you wanted to go to a certain level, that's the way I thought of it. And just one quick thing, I'm sorry, I'm grabbing your time. No, no, it's your time. When Danny graduated, the head, Stafford? Brian Stafford.

This is the greatest thing I've ever heard. You've got a good memory. And they said you, meaning them, do the most two important things of anyone in the world. You protect the currency, because if someone does something with the currency, everyone's going to panic. And you protect the leader of the free world. And if something happens to the leader of the free world and if something happens to the leader of the free world not just the united states is scared the world gets scared because it happened to the leader so i remember that graduation and those two things always so yes it made such an

impression theresa we got theresa from westwood one get this guy a show get this guy a show wait one last thing i got about a minute left right this guy a show. Get this guy a show. Wait, one last thing. I got about a minute left. Right? We need the John Bongino show. We're talking to my dad, John Bongino, in an unexpected guest appearance because Joey Jones had to leave a little earlier. One last question for you. I got about, I don't know, a minute left.

Who knows? This is a flexible brain. I'll do whatever I want. Mike's like, do whatever you want. Tell the truth. When I first left the Secret Service to run for the U.S. Senate in the deep blue state of Maryland, you thought I was a lunatic, right? Yes, I did.

Okay, good. Yes. That is the most honest answer. And not a negative. Yes. We were in my brother Joe's basement, cleaning out his basement. He was moving. And my father's like, you know, the depression era kid.

My grandparents were savers, right? They were savers. Grandpa, grandma, grandpa. The best. Loved them. The greatest people ever. And if you had a government job, right, you were like a superhero. And it translated down to my father here.

Meanwhile, I'm a crazy person, like a risk taker. And my father's like, bro. Again, he didn't say bro. He called it that. But bro thinks my thing. He's like, you're leaving to run for office? Like, are you a crazy person? And I'll never forget.

He said to me, Daniel, I think you really need to think about this, son. Well, you can call me son, but whatever. The Daniel part stands. And I said, I'm going to do it anyway. But you were happy

when I won the primary. I was. What was amazing about it is usually normal people start at, you know, lower election, local elections, and move up and up and up.

Danny wanted to start at the Senate. So I said, why don't you just go for president? Yeah, yeah, why not? What about it? Should Dan Bongino run for president? Alright. That wasn't too loud. We're definitely not running now. Thank you. You just saved us. That wasn't loud

enough. That was the Roots Convention again. Wait, wait. One more show. Should I run for president? Yeah! Alright. My father's getting nervous. He's like, Daniel, dumb idea. You got a great radio show. She's like, Teresa, cut him off immediately. Hey, Dad, thanks a lot for coming out. Thank father's getting nervous. He's like, Daniel, dumb idea. You got a great radio show. She's like, Teresa, cut him off immediately. Hey, Dad, thanks a lot for coming out. Thank you.

Love you. Love you. He listens down in North Carolina where he lives. All right, folks. More coming up next. That was my father, John. Same last name. Obviously, you stole the show.

Up next, we talk with Tyrus. Twitter handle Planet Tyrus because he's a big guy. We'll get to that in a second, but let me tell you about our next sponsor first. Bowl and Branch, B-O-L-L, holidays are the most exciting time of the year. You want to enjoy them to the fullest? You better get a good night's sleep. Do it with Bowl and Branch. With Bowl and Branch, it's easier than it sounds. They are the softest, most luxurious organic cotton sheets. Bowl and Branch, their sheets are made from the finest 100% organic cotton threads on earth. I love them.

They get better with time. They make a difference. You can truly feel night after night. You're never going to want to sleep on anything different. When you're ready to hop into a soft, cozy bed, your sheets make all the difference. Look,

it's never a big sheet guy, but I can tell you they made a huge difference in my sleep quality. In fact, I'm so spoiled with these sheets. I don't want to sleep anywhere else. I hate hotels. Night on hotel sheets make you want to jump back in your own bed that much quicker. Bowling branch products are made different. You can sleep better at night, made from the finest 100% organic cotton on earth, free from toxins, pesticides, and harsh chemicals

at every step of its making. Made by artisans who earn the pay and respect they deserve. This Black Friday, give the gift of a better night's sleep for yourself and others with Bowl & Branch. Get 25% off your first set of sheets and free shipping when you use promo code Bongino at bowlandbranch.com. That's B-O-L-L, bowlandbranch.com. Use promo code Bongino, my last name, B-O-N-G-I-N-O. Offer ends November 27th.

Thanks, Bowling Branch. Here's wrestling champion Tyrus talking about his life, wrestling, and how to make the country better. One of our best interviews ever. We got a ton of feedback on this. You don't want to miss this. Celebrating a genuine American patriot. It's not a bunch of spoiled Hollywood zeros and losers that I couldn't give.

If this was a not family-friendly show, I'd dump another word in there. of spoiled Hollywood zeros and losers that I couldn't give a, if this was a not family-friendly show, I'd dump another word in there. But I don't really care about them. Sports guys, all right, you may have earned it a little bit. It's a unique talent. But playing make-believe for a living is not my bag of donuts. Let me tell you something about a guy who is definitely not make-believe, who not many people want to toy with, who is gracious enough to sit down with us, my manrus tyrus how are you thank you so much for having me man oh come on are you kidding me

so he's got a book uh out that is a mega monster bestseller it was like number one everywhere it's called just tyrus and i said oh just tyrus like tyrus he goes no no just tyrus that's that so you gotta go out and buy that book and you'll hear hear his story. So, Tyrus, you came from the wrestling world, and I asked you during the break here. I said, you know, now people like, they love your political commentaries. Does anybody ever give you any crap for that? Not in my face. Like I said, you get a lot of people on Twitter who take shots and stuff,

but I don't put any weight in it. I don't read most of it. They take shots at you? I mean, you can take a shot at anybody on Twitter. I'm 6'2". Right, jacked, shredded. But, again, no one's going to walk up to you and throw a shot at you. You think you could, like, lift me by the neck with one hand if you needed to?

Yeah, we so chose to. Like a chiropractic adjustment? I also know that you do a lot of MMA, so I'm not going to extend my arm for you to counter and get me an arm lock. Can you come on my show one time? We do a segment. You show me how to do a bump in wrestling. Yeah, absolutely. I've always wanted to do that.

Can your body slam me? You do one. Yeah, I'll show you how to do it. You can slam me if we do it right. Do you ever get hurt in a wrestling ring? Constantly. It's simulated combat, but it's still combat. Yeah.

And the worst part is when you're in with friends, when you're in with your buddies, because we call it potatoing, and no one hits you harder than your friend. Really? Why? They take some liberties? Because it's just like you're – it's like when you're roughhousing with your friends, it's just always more physical, and there's always a little extra pop there. Really?

Yeah, and then you're like, oh, mother – Now, let me ask you. I'm not going to put you in a spot. Are there some guys in the business where you're like, dude, I just can't get in a ring. You're like, they're dangerous. I'll tell you, yeah. Heath Slater.

The one man rocked that. Really? Punched me in the face every time. Like, for real? Jabbed every time. And it was always like a straight jab. Boom. I'd be like, bro.

Do you jack him back after that? We had a show on. We had a match on SmackDown live, and he popped me, and I said, hey, that's it. And then he got nervous, and he popped me again. I said, I warned you. And then I was chasing him to get hands on him, and we weren't supposed to get out of the ring.

And he's like, out of the ring, like, hey, man, I said I was sorry. Stop. And we got in the ring, and then we called a receipt. So the best receipt is never given back immediately. Right. You wait. You just wait for the right moment. You wait.

And so I waited after my eye swelled up. And I think it was like three months later we were wrestling in a show and I grabbed him and he was like, hey, what's going on? It's time for your receipt. And launched him over the top rope to the floor. And I remember him in the air going, I said I was sorry. But that's, we call it a receipt. But yeah, it's a physical.

But honestly, man, most wrestlers, if they're telling the truth, are super conservative. Really? Because they travel the world. No one has to save more money than we do. No one has to, we have to pay our taxes ourselves. We're 1099 workers. Like, we have to stay on top. And then every state that we wrestle in, we owe taxes to.

So that's why they call Florida the places where wrestlers go to die. Because everyone ends up living in Florida because the income tax. The whole bunch of men. No income tax. The income tax and the tax breaks, which is great when you're a 1099. And you can save money. So nobody has to be more staunch with their money. And that's why you see a lot of, especially now, like when you look at Glenn Jacobs,

what he's doing in Knoxville. He's a phenomenal mayor. I think he's a star of the Republican Party. I met him at Politicon in L.A. And I got to tell you, he's big as you, but could not have been a more gentle, nice guy. And passionate. I mean, the guy's in the ring. He's Kane.

He's like this monster animal guy. And then you meet him. He's a mayor in Tennessee, right? Yep. And he's the most soft-spoken, gentle guy I've ever seen. His work with bringing trade schools back, making education first. Because we travel, we see, we know our fan base, we know what the needs are.

And he was a guy that I, and I talked about this in my book a little bit, we used to go in the locker rooms and talk about what club we were going to go to or where do you go to eat or those on our single days, what strip club, just athlete stuff. He was the guy who came in and he's like, what are you doing with your money? What are you investing in? Smart. And are you paying attention to the politics in your career? Do a lot of guys go broke if they don't

handle it right? Like some of the bigger games? Just like NFL? Just like anything else? Because here's the deal. Wrestling is just like, especially in the WWE, it's no different than NFL and NBA. You have some guys who'll get an amazing career, will make a ton of money, and then you have guys that have a short span. Three years.

I was in it for of money uh and then you have guys that you know have a short span three years you know uh i was in it for six years and then i continued in different places but there's not always other places to go i was lucky i had impact uh wrestling overseas and then now the nwa but just like the nfl when it's over it's over and if you didn't save your money you don't have anything because tyrus has the belt with him by the way this is legit yeah I won the NWA world every way championship this is like most prestigious title in wrestling yeah this thing's got some weight to it I beat Matt Cordona and Trevor Murdoch for it last Saturday in Louisiana thank you and uh staying on top of it but yeah when it comes the worlds are a lot more closely linked than you would imagine. And so I get texts all the time where like,

hey man, do you see what Dan's talking about? No. You spit fire. Brother, thank you. Unapologetically. And I love that

because I'm on a comedy show and number one late night comedy show and our goal is we want to bring up stuff but we want to send you home happy because after us,

you watch, it's time to go to bed and you send them that's what we do on gutfeld right and i like the fact that but i'll be i'll follow you on instagram and when you get going no no it's pretty rough i can't control my no but i'm like here he goes here he goes like but it's but it's your passion and it's not it's not bs thank you you't have talking points, and that's one thing I respect the hell about you. And when I mean talking points, like you don't have, I have to say this, I have to say this. No, here's my show. I wrote it this morning on the hotel. Here, Mike, check it out. This is the show.

I wrote it on the hello paper from the hotel. No, but I'm saying that realness resonates. And especially in the athletic world, man, guys are like, hey. Say, hey, I'm on them. And we're just trying to figure out when we're going to get you on Gutfeld, man. Guys are like, hey. Say, hey, I'm on them. And we're just trying to figure out when we're going to get you on Gutfeld, man. Yeah, man. Let's do it. We're talking to Tyrus.

Go out and get his book. It is a number one nuclear bestseller. It's called Just Tyrus, T-Y-R-U-S. Go to wherever you get your books today. Pick it up. Everybody loves the book. Tyrus, you were so right about the wrestling business. I'm not going to say their names because I don't want to get them canceled or anything.

But there were two really prominent WWE guys. Both of them within like a week of each other followed me on a social media platform a while ago. And they DM'd me. And I watched one of their specials on A&E. And I got to tell you, you are so right. The most conservative guys. They love the country. They want to just earn

their money and be left to hell alone they love our military we love our cops they love this place and they were so offended at the direction of the country and it's two of them two really well there's it's i would say probably i would say 85 percent um now younger guys i don't know as much about but uh my my group which we're starting to get into that point where we're starting to hang it up, a lot of us, I'm probably done at the end of next year. But anyone who's traveled this country, and we've wrestled, I mean, I've wrestled in every corner, every continent. And that's one of the blessings of being a professional athlete and being in the WWE and NWA and Impact and stuff, we just see it. So we don't even need – mainstream media will paint a picture

that it's not happening on the ground. And to really get it, you've got to be in the ground. You've got to perform, and you've got to go to a town, and you'll see – like, they're buying tickets to a wrestling show, and you're seeing how beat up the town is. You see all the clothes, mom-and and pop shops. And that resonates with us. And you're like, especially the pandemic was, we saw a lot of people when the new administration came in and that free money started coming out. And the embezzlement and the theft destroyed Americans, especially mom and pop shops, because they were getting promised.

You know, like they fill out this in Louisiana. This was rampant. Mom and pop shops trying to stay open. They have like 50 employees, right? So they get approved for the PPO. You're approved. So then, but it's coming in three months and you don't have enough overhead to keep paying everybody, but you have to keep paying your employees to keep it, but you're out of money. So they take a loan to cover their employees and their expenses. Then they get a letter from them saying, sorry, we don't have any money for you. You're going to go back in the line. That happened.

So when you're wrestling around the country, you hear all these stories. I was living it. I saw it. My wife ran her company, Sensible Meals, which was the number one food prep country in the country. And she had over 250 employees. Pandemic hit. The hurricane hit. We had to stop business.

She was making sure her employees were paid and covered, right? And she got the PPO stuff. And I was like, I'm like, I don't know about that stuff. Like, I'm always worried, free money, this, whatever. Took the loan to cover it right and we keep our finances separate then gets a letter because uh that oh sorry the money's not there and then but then you're seeing guys on facebook with i'm talking stacks i mean hundreds of thousands of dollars and so what happens is the business go and it wasn't just hers it was about

20 businesses just in our area. So just imagine the map of the United States right now. That's just happening in too small, in Mandeville and Hammond, Louisiana. Small businesses are going up left and right. We're lucky enough to where I'll make enough money to where we're able to cover expenses, just close the business and move on. But everywhere I drove, closed, closed, closed.

And that was the result of that free money because they didn't care who it went to. And we're still seeing it. And this is the one thing I'm excited about us getting the house back. I know Hunter Biden is the thing, but I think the real crimes were committed with the distribution of funds for that free money. And they set up like this minorities and women first they knew by

doing that but that in itself is discrimination it got overturned but all those are the frontal lists all went home empty-handed so that is the real crime and that's just facts that's not me making anything up. So a guy calls me and he says, listen, he's a friend of a friend, law enforcement. He said they're recruiting people to audit this PPP fund stuff. There's so much fraud. He said, do you know anyone, retired law enforcement, come back? I go, how bad is it?

He goes, brother, you have no idea. He goes, if someone said to me today 30% of it was fraud, he goes, I'd say you're probably underselling it. That's how bad it was. It's higher than that. of it was fraud? He goes, I'd say you're probably underselling it. That's how bad it was. It's higher than that. Guys were running out, spending 120 bucks to get an LLC

and they got 12 of them. And he got like 600,000 for each one. That's insane. Last question. I got like two minutes left. Talking to Tyrus, author of the best-selling book, Just Tyrus, NWA World Heavyweight Champion. He's got the belt here. Weighs like 30 pounds. Never seen anything like it.

Who's the most famous person you ever wrestled? Most famous person I ever wrestled? I'd probably say Cena. Really? Yeah, Cena. Although, was it David Attell one time got in the ring, but he got out really quickly. But Cena and most of the celebrity stuff, I was old school and Gorilla Monsoon-like. Gorilla Monsoon. And Gorilla wouldn't even give Maul an arm was old school and Gorilla Monsoon like. Gorilla Monsoon. And Gorilla wouldn't even give mom an arm.

Here's Gorilla Monsoon. I wasn't the guy you called if you had a celebrity you were trying to make look good in the ring because I was like nah, you're in my house. You ever been body slammed? Oh yeah. Remember Mark Henry, Big Show. Some of those big guys. Big Show can lift you up.

Here's the deal. He was a power lif. Big Show can lift you up? Yeah. Here's the deal. He was a powerlifter. Here's the deal. Anybody can lift me up if I want them to. What do you do? You spring in the legs? You know what? You don't ask the magician.

Is that how Hulk slammed Andre? No one was slamming Andre unless Andre wanted to get slammed. I'm telling you right now. Is that right? Hogan was terrified. This might be the greatest interview we ever did. If the story of Hogan was terrified in that match because any time Andre could have changed it and no one would have said a damn thing about it, that Andre was the truth.

I don't want to get him canceled, but a friend of a friend, I want to get him canceled, told me the same thing. He said, listen, you didn't piss off Andre in the middle of a match, man. You didn't piss him off in the back. If Andre hit you, you knew it. Poor Big John Studd, rest his soul. Oh, my gosh. Big John Studd.

Because Vince decided, Vince McMahon, the boss decided to tell him to go out and say he was the one true giant. Didn't end well. Andre didn't like that. Don't toy with Andre. Vince wasn't getting hit. But watch a Big John Studd match with Andre. Just go back on YouTube and watch it.

And at some point, you'd be like, is somebody going to help that poor man? And that was a man who was 6'10". If you don't put this in the weekend podcast, you're fired immediately. Greatest interview ever. Anytime, man. Huge fan. Keep doing what you're doing, man. Look forward to your stuff, bro. I love that you came on. Buy his book, folks. Just Tyrus.

What a fascinating interview. We'll be right back. That was Tyrus. Up next is my friend Dave Rubin. Dave Rubin is a converted liberal. He has a lot to say on the matter, but let me tell you about our final sponsor first. Will the lack of a red wave during the midterms lead to a more emboldened Biden?

I hope not. More pork barrel spending, higher taxes, a deepening of inflation. If you're unsure how the next two years will unfold, talk today to Birch Gold Group about protecting your savings with gold. That's why I've bought gold from them multiple times from Birch Gold and you can too.

Birch Gold makes it easy to convert an IRA or 401k into an IRA in precious metals. That's right, they'll help you own gold and silver in a tax-sheltered account. Here's what you need to do. Text DAN, D-A-N, to 989898 to claim your free info kit on gold and then talk to one of their precious metals specialists.

They'll hold your hand through the whole process. protect yourself with gold today by texting dan to 98 98 98 with an a plus rating with the better business bureau and thousands of happy customers birch gold is who i trust to protect my future and yours i'm a customer too text dan to 98 98 98 today past performance is not a guarantee of future results message and data rates apply here's dave rubin talking with me about the state of our politics today and why florida is succeeding 9898 today. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Message and data rates apply. Here's Dave Rubin talking with me about the state of our politics today and why Florida is succeeding under Ron DeSantis.

Folks, I gotta tell you I've been doing this show for a year and a half. I'm obviously live here from the Patriot Awards. That's the background noise. I'm really genuinely touched by your feedback on Facebook and tweets and true socials. I had my dad on before in kind of an impromptu thing.

And I'm dead serious. I have never gotten as much feedback from friends of mine, people in the industry who are just like icons to me, who were really touched by that interview with my dad. Mike, producer Mike, Jim. So thank you for all the feedback. This has been a really great show because I got great guests. One of them held over for the break. He was kind enough. He's the host of a really, really popular podcast.

You know him. You love him. You've seen him on Fox. Dave Rubin, host of the Rubin Report. Dave, thanks for hanging. I appreciate it. Ben, this is going to be tough because I've got to follow your dad, man. What can I do? I've got to follow my dad. Teresa from Westwood is already firing me and hiring my dad. She's like, this guy, do you want to get fired?

Here you go, bro. She's handing me a pink slip. Here it is, folks. Actually, that's a MyPillowette. But it looks like a pink slip. Your dad's freaking signing autographs over there. It's really quite something. Pink slip.

There you go. I just turned a MyPillowette into a pink slip. So, Dave, you were a former man of the left. Yes. So you understand both sides here. Yeah. This election wasn't great. Get it. But we took back the House today. We got really close. And you're seeing minority voters and

working class voters move over to our side. Now, not only a man formerly the left, but you lived in California up to recently. I don't think this was the apocalypse. Everybody thinks it is. I think it's the start of something big, a realignment. Yeah. Well, look, first off, just getting the House, even though it's by a razor-thin margin and we all thought the Senate was going to happen, and I was a little less bullish on some of the governor's stuff, but I have to say I'm surprised that somebody like Whitmer survived this thing.

She was just the worst of the worst. And if people seemingly want more of that stuff, then... Michigan was a bloodbath. We're on WJR. It's an awesome station over there. It's a legacy station. Hat tip our W.J.R. crew. Michigan was a bloodbath for Republicans. I don't get it. Tudor Dixon, I thought she was an excellent candidate. She crushed her in the debate. It's just we just have to accept that there's a certain amount of people.

I don't know if it's 40 percent of America or exactly what it is. They are going to vote Democrat no matter what right so we have to figure out how do you get maybe the 10 that can move and i think the 10 that can move are actually the ex-libs the people that are waking up they're going wait a minute this is not the democratic party well that's you though and that's me so wait what woke you up though i mean what happened one day where you're like, okay. And I know me and you have some different social views and that stuff. But that's the great part about being sane people. Like, we can actually talk things out. But when did you say to yourself, like, okay, this modern liberal movement is just bananas.

Like, I'm done with it. Well, it's interesting because people say liberal. And this is what my first book was about. But, you know, the progressives are illiberal. Liberalism means basically you're open minded. You're willing to find where there is more equality and more freedom. The progressives have changed equality, obviously, to equity, and they want to rejigger society in their bizarre, racist, you know, sex focused, identity focused worldview.

For me, there were a couple of things that happened. The most famous one that you've probably seen, it's been seen probably 100 million times on YouTube. I had Larry Elder on my show, legendary radio host Larry Elder. Epic appearance. We had never met before. We sat down. I said something about systemic racism, and he basically beat me senseless. And I don't know how many people can say this, Dan, but I honestly think I had my best and worst career moment at the exact same time because it was my worst for obvious reasons i said something not ready to battle it out i said

systemic racism he beats me simple you know senseless and i had nothing to fall back on but it was my best moment because it was not live like we are right now it was to tape we were going to air it the next day my producers all said we're going to cut that and i said no we have to leave it knowing that i was going to take a hit on I said, no, we have to leave it. Knowing that I was going to take a hit on that. I mean that. Well, you know what? That's it really is. It takes a lot of courage. It's a fine line between bravery and sort of stupidity or naivete or something. But it worked. It worked. We all at points in our lives have done and thought things that were wrong. And but really a lot of people, I think the difference between a good quality character person and others is the bad guys just keep doing the wrong thing over and over again.

Well, it would be like if you were having a radio show with somebody, if you were doing a radio show and they just got you, they just got you on something. And then if you, Dan Bongino, were like, you know what, we're not airing that. It's then what then what are you really doing for a living? You know what I mean? You're out there trying to bring truth as much as anyone I know in this business. And it's like, if you were to just be like, well, that one where I actually screwed that one up or, you know, and that's the one we're not going to let go. And I know you wouldn't do that.

And that's, I think that's what people appreciate now because there's just so much BS out there. The government lies about everything. Big tech lies about everything. The politicians lie about everything. The president lies about everything. And people are just starving for a little bit of honesty, even if they don't agree with us on everything, which obviously they're not going to. It's OK. They have their own thoughts. Your show does well, too. We're talking to Dave Rubin, host of a fantastic

podcast called Rubin Report. Check it out. Dave, having just moved from California to South Florida, you have a really, really interesting perspective here. A lot of people will tell you California is lost. Me personally, I don't buy that. I think it's in a lot of trouble. I don't think it's lost. And I say that because where you live now, Miami-Dade, as you well know, was considered lost in Florida for Republicans because it went overwhelming for Democrats forever. And Ron DeSantis just destroyed Democrat Charlie Chris there.

So it's interesting how things that were lost all of a sudden weren't. Is California lost? Yeah, well, it's funny. I moved two companies to Miami, so I brought a whole bunch of employees. And I know that they all freaking voted for DeSantis. So he's got to be pretty happy with me right now. But yes, watching Miami-Dade flip is absolutely incredible. And to your point about

lost is cali lost the problem with cali is that the machinery is so broken there it is so one party state that for people to break through that look newsome newsome just won re-election nobody talked about it right because it's not even thought of as oh we're gonna show clip did you play one clip of a gavin newsome debate your show? Either did I. Honestly, I didn't even know we had one. Exactly. Not one clip went viral anywhere because it was just a far gone conclusion. So I would much rather people have to vote with their feet.

You must move to a place that is in line with your values. I get it. It sucks. Nobody wants to have to pick up real family considerations, grandparents, young kids in school, whatever it might be. But I can tell you from I am 11 months almost to the day from moving from Cali, my life is 180 better. Freedom is here. The stuff that we talk about for a living, it's taken root here.

And we need to be exporting it. But certain places just aren't going to take it. Look, New York even got close. But it's like now they got four more years of hotel. and it ain't going to be pretty. It ain't going to be pretty. That shocked me. I knew we had a shot, but quietly residing in the back of my cerebral cortex was, you know, I've been told that before and we've lost by 10, but your thoughts on this theory I have, we're talking to Dave Rubin, hosted Rubin Report, now lives in Florida, who knows California politics,

believe me, better than anyone, was there for most of his life. So I grew up in New York and I have this theory about this last election cycle, which was decent but not great. It's just that the suck hasn't gotten bad enough yet.

Like in New York, I tell the story all the time, when Giuliani ran the first time, he lost. People don't know that. They think he won. He lost. He lost by two points. And Dave, everybody said the same. So he lost to People don't know that. They think he won. He lost. He lost by two points.

And Dave, everybody said the same thing. So he lost to Dinkins before? He lost to Dinkins. And everybody said, this is over. 2,000 people got killed last year. We lost. Party sucks. I'm jumping off a bridge.

And you know what? They didn't, thankfully. And the next term, four years up, he ran and he won. And then he ran for re-election and won by 17 points. He just needed Dinkins to go in and wreck the place and then finally out of desperation. So that's your theory. Is California just not bad enough yet?

I mean, they're crapping in the streets. Yeah, it is that bad. But again, the machinery of the state, it's all run by Democrats. Look, think about it this way. I think, if I'm not mistaken, there are more Republicans in California than any other state just because of the sheer volume of the state, the sheer population. But if they have no power, if there is no way that you can do anything in the state, and if the cities only get worse and you keep giving them more tax money and they're bringing equity into all of the governmental organizations and institutions, at some point, you want to go, hey, maybe I don't want to be the last guy in Dodge. And you find out that Florida,

the humidity in the summer, it's okay. We're on a station, I know, you know, KABC in LA. And again, I'm sorry, you're in Florida now, but you know California politics well. And folks, it's a national story what happened in the LA mayor's race. Why does it matter to me? Because you had a guy, Rick Caruso. He had celebrities backing him, millions upon millions of dollars. From what I've heard, was a pretty good candidate. And he still lost to one of the worst Democrats in Congress, Karen Bass.

Like, it's the weirdest thing. Well, it's weird, except that there are people who basically think that government is God. That really is it. These people think the government is designed to give you things and rejigger society however they want it to be done and it simply doesn't work i can't believe that this the money celebrities in hollywood did not figure out how to get rid of

her you know how did not how did they not push i don't want to interrupt you but you said something there again we're talking to dave rub. Used to be a man of the left. Has thankfully come over, and we agree on a lot of things. Now he hosts the Rubin Report. You know, when I ran for office, you debate all the time. People come up to your county fairs, and you just get really good at it. And one of the things I learned is, you know, never make an assertion, ask a question. People avoid an assertion, but the brain's triggered when you ask a question.

It almost feels the need to respond. So I said to a guy once, you just said to me, you know, liberals think government is God. And I believe that. I've heard it. But when you ask him simple questions, like if paying higher taxes is a force for public good, right? Right. Then why don't you do it voluntarily? Like I give to charity. I'm not forced to.

It's because I actually believe the charity is going to do something positive. So where's the disconnect? The disconnect is it's a great question to always ask them. So you love high taxes. So then the next question you should say is, okay, if you love high taxes and you live in California, you live in LA, well, what are they doing with your tax dollars? Are your roads clean? Are the homeless people off the streets? Is the crime not out of control? And then you might be able to get them to go, boy, that is something. I'm paying all this money in tax dollars. The whole place is falling apart.

And then they start thinking about it a little bit. That to me is one of the ways you can get the little red pill, the subtle red pill to kind of get in there. But they think that it's just a, if you just give this thing money, because that's always the easy answer, right? Dan, schools are having problems.

They just need more funding. They never think it has anything to do with efficiency or competency or anything else look at it this way we have no you're a floridian as well we pay no state income tax no and our roads are amazing our roads are amazing our police officers are well funded actually our public schools are way better than california so how is florida doing it california gets all of this money and they just want to tax and tax so so what is it that California has done with that money that is better than Florida? And I say to people too, with the Florida schools, like folks, you got to understand like schools in Florida were not really a priority three, four decades ago. It was largely a retirement state. So it's not that people didn't care. It's just, it wasn't a big constituency for

like, Hey, great public schools. When young families started moving down, people were like, hey, the schools here aren't that great. They turned this thing around like that. And it wasn't money. Like, we don't even have a state tax in Florida. It's totally true what you're saying. Think about it. So Florida has this elderly population and no state income tax.

So they just had no need to do it. Now there's been this massive demographic shift, right? And they're doing it right. And not only are they doing it right, but then DeSantis comes in and he says, hey, first off, we're going to make sure our teachers are paid, right? That's one thing. But secondly, we're going to get all the woke stuff out of the schools. So now what is, if you were a parent right now and you just didn't want your kid to be infected by all the woke nonsense, but you couldn't afford a private school, you could send them to a school in Florida and you'd be okay. The teacher would not be talking to them

about gender privately and not bring it to you or giving them another name at school or any of that nonsense. That's a freaking beautiful thing and it's because we voted incompetent people here. I got a minute left, but I need your perspective on this. You're very close with the governor.

I know you know the Trump crew too. I love Donald Trump. I love my governor, Ron DeSantis. I do not think primaries are a bad thing. Obama, Hillary sharpened them up. Bush, McCain sharpened them up. Trump versus the world sharpened them up. I think as long as it doesn't get personal, I think it's a good thing for both of them. Well, that's the caveat right there. Right. So I'm with you on that. It should be done publicly. You know, I would like them to have a sit down and sort of just decide what, where, where they're going with this. And we don't know what DeSantis is going to do,

but I don't want it to go into mutually assured destruction. And that as much, look, I voted for Trump. I like Trump. I like his, his family, all of those things. My one fear would be that he might take it more in that direction. And I just hope they can figure it out because the, the, the one thing we don't want here is for DeSantis to be so wounded by Trump and then Trump go run for president and lose. And now we've lost both of them. Right. As effective leaders. So what the worst case scenario for us as Floridians is, let's say Trump goes ahead and and he become, you know, becomes the nominee and DeSantis stays here as governor. Guess what? That's OK, too, you know, for us. And then you figure out the rest of the country is America's best governor. Oh, he's America's president already in some ways, you know.

The guy's a dynamo. Yeah. And the way he just slams the media. You now, see, I'm so over it. He's a pro. But you can vouch for me. The South Florida media is an absolute horror show. The Sunset and the Old Miami.

They make the Washington Post look like the Wall Street Journal. Isn't it bad? It's just crazy that they live here. Like, what are you doing here? It's almost like you're reporting from the world, man, and you want to complain about it. They're reporting from Mars or something. Dave, I've got to run.

Dave Rubin, good to see you, buddy. Good to see you too. Host of The Great Rubin Report. Check out his podcast. Thanks a lot. We'll be right back, folks. That was Dave Rubin. Thanks for listening to this special Sunday podcast

we put together for you live from the Patriot Awards. You can hear me every weekday across the country on over 300 radio stations. Just go to Bongino.com, click on Station Finder, and find out where I'm on near you. Thanks a lot for listening. You just heard Dan Bongino.