The Philip DeFranco Show - MAGA's Civil War Is Worse Than They Realize. The Dam Is Bursting.

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Starting point is 00:00:59 Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything. Like packing a spare stick. I like to be prepared. That's why I remember 988, Canada's suicide crisis helpline. It's good to know, just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. 988 suicide crisis helpline is funded by the government in Canada. Another dam just burst in this Maga Civil War, and this time it's between Candace Owens and FBI director Cash Patel's girlfriend, the country singer Alexis Wilkins.

Starting point is 00:01:31 And when you know it, they are fighting over Israel and anti-Semitism. And specifically, the allegation that Wilkins is actually an Israeli intelligence agent who's using a relationship with Patel to manipulate the Trump administration. Something that's been out there and also something that she denied on Megan Kelly show last summer when the claims first started bubbling up. Are you a spy for any government? Definitely not. That is, that is a firm no on that front. But Candace Owens, she's not buying that. I think they think your boyfriend's ugly. I don't know how to say to you. And so when they see you and they see him, they think this seems like this seems like,

Starting point is 00:02:04 like a mismatch unless maybe he's super duper rich or super duper powerful and she's been sent as a honeypot. And I wasn't the one to put that out. So I'm not being sued by you. But I just want to help you connect that dot. Right. And the likely reason that she's hedging there is because Wilkins has in fact sued a couple of people for defamation over this. First, the conservative podcaster and former FBI agent, Kyle Serafin, who claimed that she's actually a former Mossad agent. Anyway, I'm sure that that's totally just like love.

Starting point is 00:02:32 That's what real love looks like. That's why Cash Patel is in his 40s and lives with a man in in Las Vegas full-time. Totally regular. No big deal. Then there was the right-wing influencer, Elijah Schaefer, who reposted that same claim. Then finally, at least for now, the failed GOP Senate candidate, Sam Parker, who's accused her of being a mouthpiece for Prager You and the Zionist agenda. If you have to sue to prove that your relationship is real, maybe not.

Starting point is 00:02:57 But also, Wilkins didn't stop with that because this week, she dumped a crazy 13-post thread on Twitter. announcing I've spent the last few months learning to build programs to utilize publicly available information to prove that this is way bigger than me. This is about creating chaos in the Republican Party. It's about the organized effort to lose Republicans the midterms and subvert President Trump's agenda. And her big finding, according to her, quote, a foreign linked influence network has been running coordinated operations against the Trump administration for 22 months. Where they're then providing a bunch of data that supposedly proves that this is happening and she names names. claiming that Trump's former national security director, Michael Flynn, is quote, the anchor of a digital infrastructure that has been repeatedly activated at every major Republican fracture point over 22 months of documented data. She then also goes after an organization called Catholics for Catholics that he's a part of

Starting point is 00:03:40 and then says that Russian state media amplified the honeypot claims about her. She then claims that all the same accounts in this supposed influence network immediately activated to boost Candace Owens conspiracy theories about the Charlie Kirk assassination in Israel. She then connects even more dots pointing out that right after national counterterrorism Senator Joe Kent resigned, Catholics for Catholics announced that they'd have them at their event. Where what she says was followed by Tucker Carlson interviewing him and then Kent appearing on stage next to Flynn and Owens. Now, in response to all this, you had Flynn posting a meme of two cats reading smartphones

Starting point is 00:04:08 with a caption, me and my so-called Flynn network, hard at work, don't lose your sense of humor, folks, stuff getting deep. And then, kind of funnily enough when you think about it, you had the Queen conspiracy theorist herself making fun of Wilkins for being so conspiracy brain. There are accounts and you tweet something, if they agree, they retweet it. So that's, Jack Dorsey could have probably explained this to her in less time than the months that it took her to come up with this theory. know how this jumps from the Catholics to there. You have to read it. It's too stupid for me to

Starting point is 00:04:36 understand. So a news publication in Russia retweet it, and that's how she then realized that, well, then there's got to be an international conspiracy. It makes perfect sense if you suspend rational thinking. That's just a lot. In the chapter three is just a lie. I was not naming Erica. I said nice things about Erica. Didn't start covering Erica until Erica lied to my face in December, but that doesn't matter. This is Cash Patel's girlfriend. The facts, she can just put whatever facts she wants there. I did go after cash right away. So I went after her boy, boy, and that's what she's upset about.

Starting point is 00:05:10 Obviously, Vladimir Putin is doing this. And she then shows that the data clearly demonstrates that the same people that are interested in the Butler assassination are the same people that are interested in Joe Kent's resignation. And they are the same people that are interested in Charlie Church's assassination. by golly, guys, she has figured out that the MAGA voting block might be all interested in these topics. But also like a big thing with this is this spat between Wilkins and Owens, it's not an isolated thing. The Republican Party, they are really beginning to notice that the next generation of conservatives, they're sliding more towards Candace Owens' end of the spectrum.

Starting point is 00:05:49 You know, you might remember that leaked group chat from October with young Republican leaders in several states apparently joking, though maybe not joking about gas chambers, slavery, rape, black people being monkeys loving, hit, and hating the Jews. Or maybe when it was revealed that the Miami Republican Party made a group chat for students where within three weeks, there were over 400 mentions of the N-word as well as misogynistic, homophobic, and anti-Semitic slurs, and talk about Nazi heaven. Leaks that led to the resignation of a turning point USA chapter president who wrote, I would deaf not marry a Jew. Meanwhile, the University of Florida's college Republicans chapter was disbanded after its members' work used of doing a Nazi salute, and then this month, the College Republicans of America appointed a longtime fan of Nick Fuentes as their political director. With people then pointing out that he's made comments, many consider antisemetics, saying that

Starting point is 00:06:29 He promoted Fuentes' white boy summer tour in 2021. He was a special guest at Fuentes' conference the next year, and he's a channel on cozy.tv, which is a platform founded by Fuentes and Alex Jones. Now, with all this, you know, the Republican old guard, like Ted Cruz, for example, they've watched all this with dismay. I have seen more anti-Semitism on the right than at any point in my life.

Starting point is 00:06:48 And it is dangerous, and it risks consuming our party. I don't want us to make the same mistake Democrat leaders made a decade ago, of just to look the other way, and to be silent. And also echoing that, you had California's Republican Party circulating a memo last month, warning that Fuentes fans were making their way

Starting point is 00:07:05 into party positions and running for office, requiring a conscious effort to keep them out. Though personally, I don't think they realize how much they've already been infiltrated, which makes sense, because Fuentes has a whole thing where he tells his viewers to hide their power level. Even at times expressing frustration with his audience for doing things that kind of were they out themselves.

Starting point is 00:07:22 But also with this, you have others that are less concerned, arguing instead that these are just kind of fringe weirdos trying to make themselves seem bigger than they really are. And there, some saying that there's evidence to back that up, right at a TPUSA's conference late last year, for example, in an official straw poll found that 87% of attendees viewed Israel as an ally. And there was also a study published back in December that suggested that Fuentes' rise to prominence was artificially fueled by foreign bot farms. As you've had the founding president of the foundation behind the annual National Conservatism Conference telling the Washington Post, the migration of our politics online has created a perverse incentive structure.

Starting point is 00:07:53 If you voice anti-Israel and anti-Semitic views, you get an instant reward in the form of clicks, likes, and follows. follows. This fuels the fallacy that the activist base of the party shares these views. But with that, I would warn them, you know, underestimate these people at your own risk. Nick Fuentes, Candice Owens, Tucker Carlson, people in this specific space with a certain kind of view. They are prepared for a world where Donald Trump is no longer the president or isn't around anymore. And in the vacuum that is left when a leader like that, who has his hooks into his supporters so hard is there. There's gonna be a change. And to mention a straw poll about if it's a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of,

Starting point is 00:08:28 Israel, a TPSA as a way to go, oh, Nick Fuentes and these people, they don't matter. That's, it's, that's a word, that's a word I don't use anymore. It's really dumb that those are different kinds of conservatives. Right, in the rise of Donald Trump, I'm talking all the way back in like 2016, that shows what you can do with a really strong initial base of 15% of a party. So this Maga Civil War, the fights that we see, they're not like drama, they're not random side shows. This is, this is a war for the soul of the future of the party.

Starting point is 00:08:56 But then also with us talking about a drastically different future, we got to talk about how we may experience a completely different social media and tech landscape altogether in the future. And part of that, it's connected to why you're seeing parents and advocates celebrating the cracks that are forming a big tech shield of legal protections. Right, because specifically, we need to talk about how juries in two separate states dealt very, very big blows to both meta and YouTube this week. Right, just yesterday we saw a jury in L.A. finding both companies liable for harms to children using their services.

Starting point is 00:09:21 Because you're the plaintiff in that case going by KGM, and her initial case included all the big social media companies, TikTok, Snap, YouTube, and Meta with TikTok and Snap, actually, settling before the case went to trial. But you and KGM arguing that Meta and YouTube's platform features, they were designed intentionally to be addictive, especially to young users. And specifically blaming them for the depression and anxiety that she faced as an adult saying that the issue is developed because of her compulsive use of their platforms as a child. And a huge thing is that this is far from the only case that has made this accusation.

Starting point is 00:09:48 In fact, thousands of families across the country have filed similar lawsuits and this was chosen as one of just a handful of bellwether trials. It's a test to see how both sides of this argument play out before a jury. And this one, I mean, it seems to have worked out pretty great for them with the jury awarding KGM $6 million in damages. And META, they're actually on the hook for the biggest chunk of that. And then in New Mexico, you saw a jury order META to pay $375 million in damages for failing to protect young users from child predators. Right, and finding the company responsible for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms. Now, with all this, as you could probably guess, Meta and Google, which owns YouTube, they, you know, they didn't take kindly to these rulings.

Starting point is 00:10:23 Both companies promising to appeal the case in LA and meta statement argued that teen mental health is quote profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. And Google spokesperson responded that the case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site. And also, you know, a big thing with this is that these are definitely different from previous cases against social media platforms. Because they focused on deliberate design choices and product liability. And so they were able to skirt around Section 230, which of course, having done this over the last two decades, we have talked about a lot. It's a chunk of the 1996 Communications Decency Act that generally exempts internet companies from liability for material that users post on their platforms. It made it a major hurdle for previous lawsuits focusing on how the platforms actually distribute content.

Starting point is 00:11:01 Are you with these companies successfully arguing for years that any harm potentially caused by their platforms? It's just a byproduct or the unintentional and inevitable consequences of broader societal issues or bad actors taking advantage of safeguards. And then also any cases that they've lost, they were pretty easily able to pay the penalty as the cost of just doing business and then able to move on. A few million dollars, it's a rounding. in the eyes of these multi-billion dollar companies. Which is then actually why you have many people saying that the real victory here isn't necessarily that the companies have to cut a check,

Starting point is 00:11:27 but rather there is a very real chance it change. With tech watchdogs, parents and children's advocates saying things like the era of big tech invincibility is over. After years of gaslighting from companies like Google and meta, new evidence and testimony have pulled back the curtain and validated the harms, young people, and parents have been telling the world about for years. And saying, for the parents whose children died

Starting point is 00:11:45 as a result of social media harms, today's verdict is a huge step toward truth, justice, and accountability. And you've even got people comparing this to the cases that targeted big tobacco, saying this could be the beginning of a reckoning across the social media landscape, especially because, like I said, there are thousands of cases like KGMs waiting in the wings. And so you're seeing people like an assistant professor of law at the University of Houston Law Center saying, for the first time, courts have held social media platforms accountable for how their product design can harm users. This is a new legal territory that could reshape an industry long shielded by Section 230. Platforms will have to rethink their focus on engagement at any cause, which has outlived itself. And Jim Steyer, the chief executive of common sense media, said that these rulings show that the courts are willing to align with state legislatures and foreign governments to reshape Silicon Valley. Multiple states have enacted various social media laws aimed at protecting kids or saying they're protecting kids or launch investigations into platforms.

Starting point is 00:12:32 And then also with this, I'll say, well, lawmakers at the federal level have been slow to act. The same is not true for other countries. Both the European Union and individual countries within Europe, they've taken more aggressive actions to crack down on social media usage among younger kids. In addition to, you know, more robust laws in general, EU regulators have launched numerous investigations. Issued a preliminary decision last month against TikTok for its addictive design saying that it threatens the well-being of users, including minors. And in fact, just today, you had officials announcing that they have launched an investigation into SNAP for violations of a 2022 law that forced social media companies to police elicit content more aggressively. And specifically there, the EU is alleging that SNAP's age verification system is ineffective at preventing children under 13 from using the app. Right.

Starting point is 00:13:10 And regulators also claiming it the algorithm regularly misclassifies users age 13 to 17 as adults and then directs them toward explicit content, exposes them to dangerous contacts for sexual exploitation and provides access to illegal products. So also say in addition to the excitement and declarations of accountability from the US rulings, it is very important to know that we do not know for sure what the real outcome of the the ripple effects of this are going to be. There are a number of things that are constantly labeled as like a way to protect kids, but it really is cracking down on anonymity on the internet, people's rights in general. And some people have already sounded that alarm saying these rulings could be teeing up a serious blow to section 230, privacy, and free speech.

Starting point is 00:13:47 You have the foundation for individual rights and expression saying. If media companies must worry about liability whenever their expressive outputs are thought to be harmful, the universe of available content would be reduced to the safest, blandest, and least engaging stuff imaginable. When it comes to social media, that affects what you're allowed to post too. Not to mention a potential gold rush for personal injury attorneys, with, for example, an R Street Institute policy analyst noting cases like this will likely unleash a trial lawyer bonanza via a much broader wave of mostly frivolous lawsuits. Every tort lawyer in America is probably thinking about ripping down there been in a crash billboards right now and replacing them with Addicted to the internet signs and that was something you also saw echoed by the Wall Street Journal editorial board

Starting point is 00:14:25 Saying using a novel product liability theory to shake down companies won't help young people and isn't a good way to make law And then on top of that you have many others pushing back on the argument that social media is addictive saying you know these platforms aren't products like cigarettes or alcohol Even making the comparison at times to similar concerns about comic books back in the 50s So as far as how all of this is going to turn out we probably aren't going to know for years and years There's a very long way to go. I mean, just even with these two cases. And overall, whether it's a good change or a bad change or whatever change, it's going to take court rulings, state legislatures, Congress, and even international pressure like what we're seeing in the EU to truly make a difference or make some sort of change.

Starting point is 00:14:59 But for many out there, at least for the time being, you see them acting like this feels like a step in the right direction. The really time will tell. And in the meantime, of course, I'd love to your thoughts in those comments down below. And then there's more we've got to dive into in just a minute, but first let me thank a sponsor and say, you know, as a parent, it is wild to me that kids today don't even have a choice when it comes to their digital identity. Right, before your kid even knows how to manage their inbox, the internet can already start profiling them. It's insane and yet it's the norm.

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Starting point is 00:16:19 they're the one that's begging for a deal. And depending on whether he's actually telling the truth, we may be inching toward an end of this war or a brand new chapter with even graver consequences. And in the meantime, what's happening with this conflict, it's already shaping what's going on with another, Russia's war in Ukraine. But where I want to start with you is with the situation between the U.S. and Iran,

Starting point is 00:16:36 because Trump says, you know, they're talking. Iran says they're not. And the truth, it might actually be somewhere in the middle because the administration, they just sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war. A plan which reportedly called for the country to dismantle its nuclear sides, halt uranium enrichment, suspend its ballistic missile program,

Starting point is 00:16:51 curb support for its regional allies, and fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz. But Iran, they publicly rejected that plan and they laid out their own conditions for ending the war, including an end to sanctions, compensation for damages, a wider ceasefire for the region that protects, and recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. And you would Iran's foreign minister telling state media

Starting point is 00:17:08 that Iran had no intention to hold talks with the United States, but then despite that, you had the U.S. and Israel temporarily removing him and Iran Speaker of Parliament from their hit list, even as an Israeli airstrike allegedly killed the naval commander who played a key role in shutting down the strait of hormones. And you've also reportedly had some Iranian officials speaking to the New York Times, suggesting that they're open to negotiations and they're even considering meeting with Trump administration officials in Pakistan over the next week. But they want more than a temporary pause to the fighting, which they fear that Israel and the U.S. would only use as an opportunity to build up their forces before launching strikes again. And while they're apparently willing to discuss limitations on nuclear enrichment, they're not open to limitations on the country's missile.

Starting point is 00:17:42 program. And they also won't reopen the Strait of Hormuz without a peace deal in place, and if it is open, they still are hoping to charge ships that pass through it. So the available information, it might suggest that the gap between the two sides, it is still massive, but also there is a real desire to find a diplomatic solution. But this very slight chance of a diplomatic breakthrough, it's apparently led Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to direct his country's military to increase strikes on Iran's arms industry as much as possible. That order, apparently coming after his government got a copy of Trump's 15-point plan, which was reportedly detailed enough to alarm Netanyahu Yahoo, his staff, and Israel's defense chiefs who felt it didn't go far enough to keep Iran's nuclear

Starting point is 00:18:16 programmer missile capabilities in check. But then also understand the U.S. is preparing to ramp up with White House Press Secretary Caroline Levick claiming yesterday that, yes, talks were ongoing and productive, but also saying that if Iran doesn't make a deal, the U.S. will hit Iran harder than they have ever been hit before. And adding, President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash help. And so then also with that, you had Trump following up on social media this morning writing, the Iranian negotiators are very different and strange. They are begging us to make a deal, they should be doing since they've been militarily obliterated with zero chance of a comeback, and yet they publicly state that they are only looking at our proposal.

Starting point is 00:18:50 Wrong. They better get serious soon before it is too late because once that happens, there is no turning back and it won't be pretty. And of course, you know, it's clear that the U.S. is at least positioning itself to follow through on Trump's threats with thousands more troops on their way to the region and a $200 billion funding request potentially soon on its way to Congress. And then on top of that, the Pentagon's reportedly developing military options for a final blow solution that could involve the use of ground forces in a massive bombing campaign,

Starting point is 00:19:13 including invading or blockading Karg Island, which is Iran's main oil export, taking over other strategic islands that help Iran maintain control over the strait and blocking or seizing ships that are exporting Iranian oil on the eastern side of the street. You have some American officials reportedly of the mind that an adequate display of force would give the U.S. more leverage in peace talks or at least give Trump something to point to and declare victory. Then with this, you had Iran Speaker of Parliament suggesting that they were aware of the Pentagon's preparations in a post on Twitter yesterday, right? And Iran's enemies, with the support of one of the regional countries,

Starting point is 00:19:41 are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands. All enemy movements are under the full surveillance of our armed forces. If they step out of line, all the vital infrastructure of that regional country will, without restriction, become the target of relentless attacks. So it seems likely he was referring to an island that's near the western entrance of the stray controlled by Iran, but claimed by the UAE, which is likely the regional country that he's mentioning there. Because along with Saudi Arabia, the UAE's reportedly pushed Trump to keep the war going and even considered getting directly involved. But also, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal,

Starting point is 00:20:09 what Trump may be most concerned with is ending this war quickly. Though the problem with that is Iran also gets a say in how the war ends. The options that are being discussed, I mean, they could actually drag the fighting out and make it worse instead of pushing things towards a clear finish. Right, you have people close to Trump reportedly warning that it is very hard to guess what he might do next saying that, you know, he has often gone back and forth between diplomacy and escalation. Though very notably, some of his allies are apparently encouraging him to escalate, saying that regime change in Iran, it could be legacy defining.

Starting point is 00:20:36 And he's reportedly willing to put. put boots on the ground, but is also reluctant to do so, at least partly because it could undermine his goal of bringing the conflict to a swift end. Right, and then he's also concerned that the number of troops killed or injured will rise if the war continues, but so far 13 Americans having been killed and nearly 300 wounded. And with that, you know, cracks may be starting to show among Republicans when it comes to support for this war, or with several of them leaving classified Pentagon briefings yesterday expressing frustration at the lack of detailed information that they're getting, especially related to the possibility of sending ground troops into Iran.

Starting point is 00:21:03 You'd one lawmaker saying boots on the ground may be a red line for some and adding, that's the time that they're going to abandon the effort. There was concerned that this is not being rolled out. And with that, you had Republican Congresswoman Nancy May saying she will not support troops on the ground in Iran, even more so after this briefing in the Attic. The justifications presented to the American public for the war in Iran were not the same military objectives

Starting point is 00:21:22 we were briefed on today in the House Armed Services Committee, saying this gap is deeply troubling. The longer this war continues, the faster it will lose the support of Congress and the American people. We've then also seen frustration being expressed by European leaders, with, for example, Germany's defense ministers saying at a meeting at a G7 today, To make it crystal clear, this war is a catastrophe for the world's economies. European partners in Germany highlighted from the beginning that we have not been consulted before.

Starting point is 00:21:44 Nobody asked us before, it's not our war. Then in a cabinet meeting today, Trump appeared focused on projecting confidence, with him repeatedly insisting that Iran is desperate for a deal, in fact, not him. They are begging to make a deal, not me. They're begging to make a deal. And anybody that saw what was happening over there would understand why they want to make a deal. They are begging to work out a deal. I don't know if we'll be able to do that.

Starting point is 00:22:08 I don't know if we're willing to do that. They should have done that four weeks ago. They should have done it two years ago. Or they should have done it when we first came into office. They are begging to make a deal. Trumb also revealed that his so-called mysterious gift that he was talking about, that he received from Iran. It was claiming it had allowed several oil tankers

Starting point is 00:22:26 to pass through the Strait of Hormuz to show that it was serious about negotiate. And then also speaking of oil tankers, you had British Prime Minister Kier Starmor authorizing the UK's military to board and attain Russian shadow fleet tankers in British waters today. So joining other countries, including France, Belgium, and Sweden, who have taken similar measures. But I also mention it in a story about Iran because Starmor,

Starting point is 00:22:43 he specifically claimed that his decision was driven at least partly by the fact that Russia is benefiting from rising oil prices that are linked to the Iran War. Which also is just especially the case since the U.S. partially lifted sanctions on Russian oil exports, helping bring its daily oil revenues to their highest levels in years. And then also, this is not the only way that the two conflicts are connected. The Pentagon is now also considering whether to divert weapons originally intended for Ukraine now to the Middle East. And that includes some of the systems that Ukraine needs most, like high-end missile interceptors, the same equipment that the U.S. has already been redirecting from Europe and East Asia to reinforce

Starting point is 00:23:14 its forces in the Middle East, raising concerns there as well. And then Russia, they may also be trying to use the war in Iran to undermine U.S. support for Ukraine in other ways as well. With, for example, Zelensky, claiming that Russia offered to stop sharing military intelligence with Iran if the U.S. cuts off intelligence support to Ukraine in return. And in the meantime, with so much attention on Iran, Putin's only been ramping up his attacks on the country, launching a new spring offensive that's involved the largest single-day, drone assault since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than four years ago. And then, of course, you have to remember that both of these wars, they've had massive economic

Starting point is 00:23:42 impacts as well. But also, you know, while the conflict, it may be driving up prices, the affordability crisis, it's been a long time in the making. And also, affordability, it might be about to be an even bigger issue as economists sound the alarm, right? Politicians are about to make life way more expensive for you because their approach to the problem is fundamentally flawed. And that's because they're listening to big business instead of the experts who actually know what they're doing, right? Since affordability has become a buzzword in our political landscape, both sides of the aisle have offered their own solutions. Some have suggested putting a cap on credit card interest rates and extending mortgages to 50-year terms while axing taxes on

Starting point is 00:24:14 tips, car loan interest, and overtime pay. Others have been pushing for freezing rent and utility rates and putting caps on grocery prices while also tossing around ideas to suspend seniors property taxes and the gas tax, which sounds pretty enticing right now. And both sides have even found some common ground and forcing some institutional investors out of the housing market. And all of this, again, is in the name of making life cheaper for you. However, it has also left economists scared shitless. Scott Lensigam, for example, vice president of General Economics,

Starting point is 00:24:40 the Libertarian Cato Institute said, you can come up with a laundry list of these things that are very attractive to normal humans, but that repulse economists. And politicians may write economic policies, but the ones who actually know the science behind it, they say that, you know, their solutions, they often cause other problems.

Starting point is 00:24:56 Now the catch-22 here is that politicians, you know, they're at the back and call, or at least they're supposed to be often, leading to economic solutions that Lentzacom says are eternally-sense, deductive because they communicate to a political audience that you are stopping the price increases. However, these solutions, they also lead to other issues that have the opposite effect in the long run. So, for example, when you look at things like grocery prices, you have Josh Bivens, the chief

Starting point is 00:25:18 economist of the Liberal Economic Policy Institute saying, if you try to push down grocery prices, you could actually start reducing supply. People might start going out of business or grocery stores closed. Also another example is the push for rent control that we've seen from people like Zoran Mamdani. There, you've actually got economists warning, this could make landlords reluctance to invest in their properties, either out of retaliation or genuine financial strain leading to degraded housing in less livable spaces. Though I will say from both personal experience and just talking to friends, there's a lot of shitty landlords out there that are going to kind of not make the best choices either way, but, you know, we don't want to paint everyone with a broad brush.

Starting point is 00:25:51 You know, all of these concerns, they exist for almost all the ways that politicians have offered to help with affordability. It's a report say that freezing seniors property taxes, it could lead to higher tax bills for everyone else, capping credit card interest rates, it could make it harder for low-income consumers to be approved for credit cards, but we as average citizens don't always see these risks because politicians only present the most instantly gratifying parts of these policies to save their seats in office. And so you have economists saying that the issues in these policies are all because Congress is working from the wrong end of the problem, which is why they suggest that we need more income. Experts say that the affordability issues, it would be better solved if we focused on things like reducing

Starting point is 00:26:24 unemployment and strengthening unions. And the idea is that, you know, we should be adapting to a problem that's here to stay rather than trying to pretend we can snuff it out. Jason Furman, for example, a Harvard economist who led President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisors, he said, I think we are seeing more bad economic ideas than before, because people are trying to solve a problem that doesn't have a solution. And yeah, that's very tough to hear, as many Americans have become one-issue voter is only concerned with the economy. But what many Americans may not realize is that we may be fighting a losing battle if we don't start to see more of a separation between our politicians and big business.

Starting point is 00:26:54 Right, cash sitting high or getting slung at Capitol Hill, you know, that's just been the thing. To say, it's not new, this has been happening. Right, but with this president in particular, reports show that even using the most conservative estimates, the Trumps have made almost $4 billion off of the presidency in just about a year. Tariffs, those have been weaponized, causing businesses to nosedive.

Starting point is 00:27:14 He's led unprecedented interventions into companies like Intel, and we've seen his billionaire buddies in high places with an oligarch level of influence in our government. Nera Tandon, a top Biden advisor and head of the Center for American Progress, you had her saying, I haven't seen in my lifetime a president use the powers

Starting point is 00:27:29 the federal government to interfere with the market more than Trump. But also, like, when you look at our capitalist system, you look at the way things have happened, it's not surprising that it's happened. It's not to take any of the blame or the weight off of Trump, but like, we can't have big business funding campaign trails and cuddling up to politicians if we expect to see, you know, economic centered around real people.

Starting point is 00:27:48 And then also we can't have politicians placating the public with quick fix economic solutions that just plants another problem for us to find five years later. And it's now foreign conflicts are continuing to drive up prices for American citizens, and you've got people continuing to search high and low for any job at all, let alone one with a livable wage,

Starting point is 00:28:03 you have to wonder at what point is this affordability crisis going to come to a head? And what will it look like when we show up to vote in the fall and in 2028? But that, my friends, you beautiful bastards, is the end of your Thursday, Philip DeFranco Show, dive into the news. So let me just say, thank you for watching.

Starting point is 00:28:17 I love yo faces, and hopefully I'll see you right back here on Monday because there will have not been a reason that I need to make an emergency episode, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Even though I feel like we are probably gonna have to possibly have an emergency episode based off of what I think is going to happen. We'll see. Stay safe.

Starting point is 00:28:33 Stay sane. I'll see you soon.

The Philip DeFranco Show - MAGA's Civil War Is Worse Than They Realize. The Dam Is Bursting.

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