The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 7.8 MAGA Superman Meltdown is Pathetic, Trump FREAKS OUT, Tries to Shut Down Jeffrey Epstein Questions &

Episode Date: July 8, 2025

Download the FREE Upside App at https://upside.app.link/DEFRANCO to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas.   Wear your feelings @ https://BeautifulBastard.com with new tees and tanks OR fill your home with our new premium canvas prints while you can! Subscribe for New shows every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday @ 6pm ET/3pm PT & watch more here: https://youtu.be/TEyZWjsZlSc?si=DZ4EyJdns5fweyfD&list=PLHcsGizlfLMWpSg7i0b9wnUyEZWI-25N3&index=1  – ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - Trump Goes Off on Reporter for Asking Epstein Question  04:40 - James Gunn Responds to MAGA Backlash for Calling Superman an Immigrant 09:08 - Raid on MacArthur Park Draws Backlash from Los Angeles Leaders 13:09 - Sponsored by Upside 14:09 - Israel Announces Plan to Move Palestinians in Gaza Into a Camp in Rafah 18:51 - Medical Groups Sue RFK Jr. Over COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations 21:07 - Ted Cruz Slammed for Vacationing in Greece as Texas Flood Hit 24:10 - U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Hailed as a Hero During Texas Floods -——————————   Produced by: Cory Ray Edited by: James Girardier, Maxwell Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks, Matthew Henry Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Brian Espinoza, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Chris Tolve, Star Pralle, Jared Paolino  ———————————— For more Philip DeFranco: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-philip-defranco-show/id1278424954 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ESemquRbz6f8XLVywdZ2V Twitter:   https://x.com/PhillyD Instagram:   https://instagram.com/PhillyDeFranco Newsletter: https://www.dailydip.co TikTok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@philipdefranco?lang=en ———————————— #DeFranco #JeffreyEpstein #BenShapiro ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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See goldennuggetcasino.com for details. Please play responsibly. Magna's meltdown right now that's raging over Superman is so pathetic, but the fallout is exposing a lot. Trump just angrily tried to shut down Jeffrey Epstein questions while with Pam Bondi and it's a weird wild watch. What the hell actually happened at MacArthur Park

with all those heavily armed agents? Ted Cruz's Texas flood scandals growing as people are picking apart his timeline and separately he slash weather forecasting funding. And we highlight a hero from the Texas floods. We're talking about all that and even more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show, your daily dive into the news starting with this. We should talk about an update around the Epstein-Trump situation because we talked about it in detail yesterday. A lot of his base very split on this and today we got to see Trump's

in the moment reaction to a question around the Epstein situation. Your memo and release yesterday with Jeffrey Epstein, it left some lingering mysteries. One of the biggest ones is whether he ever worked for an American or foreign intelligence agency. The former labor secretary who was Miami U.S. Attorney, Alex Kosticki, allegedly said that he did work for an intelligence agency. So could you resolve whether or not he did and also could you say why there was a minute missing from the jailhouse tape? Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein this guy's been talked about for years you're asking We have Texas we have this we have all of the things

And are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable. Do you want to waste the time and do you feel like answering? I don't mind answering. I mean, I can't believe you're asking a question at Epstein at a time like this where we're having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration, but you go ahead. And generally, if you look online, a lot of people have said that reaction is sketchy.

People saying he sounds defensive, wondering how he could possibly be wondering why so many people still have questions. But then more people pointing to Trump and Epstein's past, as well as generally more recent weird situations like back in 2020 where he wished Colleen Maxwell well. I just wish her well, frankly. I've met her numerous times over the years,

especially since I lived in Palm Beach and I guess they lived in Palm Beach, but I wish her well. Or with a man later defending those comments saying, yeah, I do wish her well. Also regarding the questions at hand, you had Pam Bondi responding. First to back up on that, in February, I did an interview on Fox and it's been getting a lot of attention because I said I was asked a question about the client list and my response

was. It's sitting on my desk to be reviewed, meaning the file along with the JFK, MLK files as well. That's what I meant by that. Also to the tens of thousands of video, they turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein. Child porn is what they were.

Never gonna be released, never gonna see the light of day. To him being an agent, I have no knowledge about that. We can get back to you on that. And the minute missing from the video, we released the video showing definitively the video was not conclusive, but the evidence prior to it was showing he committed suicide. And what was on that, there was a minute that was off the counter. And what we learned from Bureau of Prisons was every year, every night, they redo that video.

It's old from like 1999. So every night the video is reset and every night should have the same minute missing. So we're looking for that video to release that as well, showing that a minute is missing every night. And that's it on Epstein. You know, for now, we're gonna have to wait to see for updates on two fronts.

One, do we see the MAGA civil war and the divide grow or are people just gonna get in line again? And two, will we actually get updates around the Jeffrey Epstein situation? And that because according to the Guardian, top Democrats are demanding the release of Epstein files that mentioned Trump, with Jamie Raskin and 15 others accusing the DOJ

of withholding Epstein files to protect Trump. With Raskin writing, the administration has repeatedly claimed that President Trump is the most transparent and accessible president in American history. But saying, so far your DOJ has not only failed to live up to this promise, but you have also consistently hidden from the American public materials and information

that may be damaging to President Trump. That and your conduct is particularly worrisome as it appears to be part of a pattern of using the DOJ to cover up evidence of criminal wrongdoing by President Trump, including information allegedly contained in the Epstein files. We write today to demand that you release

the Smith report immediately, as well as any evidence mentioning or referencing Donald Trump in the Epstein files. You know, for now, we'll wait to see what happens there. And in the meantime, I'd really love to hear your thoughts on Pam Bondi and Donald Trump's reactions. But then next up in the news today, Superman, he's gone woke.

That is the message that we're getting out of this latest MAGA meltdown. Right, and that is James Gunn, the writer and director of the new Superman movies, having to defend himself from a wave of right-wing backlash after saying that Superman's story is an immigrant story. You know, I should explain that the whole thing,

it started over the weekend when the Times of London published an interview with Gunn where he said, quote, I mean, Superman is the story of America, an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country. But for me, it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we've lost. And then when he was asked if the film might play differently

in blue states and cities versus red ones, Gunn said, yes, it plays differently, but it's about human kindness. And obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them, the Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people's goodness. I'm telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good and

that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online. Right, and all of this is, I don't know how many people out there have like no working knowledge about Superman, but I mean he is, he's a literal alien. If he's an immigrant crossing the border, he crossed the border into Earth. He's from the planet Krypton, his name's Kal I mean, he's a literal alien. If he's an immigrant crossing the border, he crossed the border into Earth. He's from the planet Krypton, his name's Kal-El. He got to Earth, he was given the name Clark Kent, he became an icon of American identity,

but anyone who knows literally anything at all about Superman knows that he comes from a very, very, very far away place. But still, despite all that context, the usual suspects reacted in the usual ways. As you know, in Fox News covered James Gunn's comments They put the phrase super woke on the Chiron and said things like well, I think that I'm in at no risk of Hurting my 22 year streak. I'm not going to the movie theater. I got a look at the script and

He's from Uganda And there's a love scene with Batman and Rob We don't go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us. I wonder if it'll be successful. You know what it says on his cape? MS-13. You can also have the likes of Ben Shapiro

who took a break from pushing the DOJ and FBI's talking points on Epstein and minimizing people's questions over it to say. The attempt to separate Superman off from America is just a demonstration by the cultural left of how much they dislike America. Right, you had other people echoing that online as well. But also, one, James Gunn is literally talking

about an alien who came to Earth, until, even if you wanna say that James Gunn is talking about Superman being an allegory for immigration, he would be far from the first person to do so. In fact, that has been part of the comic book lore for decades. The character was actually created by two men who were the sons of Jewish immigrants.

In books written as far back as the eighties, they have said that Superman asserts, quote, the value of the immigrant in American culture. You've even had DC Comics partnering with the International Rescue Committee to celebrate World Refugee Day. But I'm literally using Superman as a symbol there in the group referring to his story

as a refugee success story. How in 2017, a comic writer who's worked on Superman since the late eighties called Superman, quote, the ultimate immigrant. And so all of that at minimum is to say that even though immigration is a hot button issue right now, referring to Superman as an immigrant, it's not anything new.

Which is then why so many just mocking this right wing outrage and anyone just realizing that a man famously born on a foreign planet is widely viewed as an immigrant. But he then seeing James Gunn, as well as others involved in the new Superman film, responding to all the backlash last night at the film's premiere in Los Angeles. With us then seeing, for example, Variety asking Gunn what he had to say

to MAGA people complaining. And there he said, I don't have anything to say to anybody. Like I'm not here to judge people, you know? I think this is a movie about kindness and I think that's something everyone can relate to. You can also have them asking actors who appear

in the movie like Nathan Fillion and Sean Gunn, who's James Gunn's brother about the situation and they said. Maga today was getting a little upset that he called Superman an immigrant. I wanted to get your reaction. Somebody needs a hug. Just a movie guys.

It is exactly what the movie is about I think that like we support our people, you know? We love our immigrants. People who say no to immigrants are against the American way. They're against what the American dream is all about. But for now, we'll have to wait to see what happens, right? The movie is releasing this week.

We're gonna have to see what happens with the box office. Right now, you've got analysts thinking that it could open at around $130 million, though the studio figures are a bit more reserved, thinking that it might be between 90 to 125 million. And so far the early reviews are promising, though that's not gonna take into account the potential review bombing that happens

in situations like this. But hey, time will tell how this is all gonna play out. And of course, in the meantime, I'd really love to know your thoughts here. One, I mean, what do you think about the MAGA meltdown over this? Is this snowflakes pearl clutching? Yes, no, maybe so, why, why not? And mean, what do you think about the the MAGA meltdown over this? Is this snowflakes pearl clutching? Yes, no, maybe so, why, why not?

And two, how do you think the movie is gonna do? Also, you know, while we're seeing this Superman immigration discourse play out, we also need to talk about the real world headlines about immigration stateside. And very notably with all that, what we're seeing out of MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. Because according to reports,

you had around 90 national guard troops and dozens of federal officers storming the park yesterday morning with some even on horses. You know, the park, it didn't have much of a crowd as word of a potential raid in the area had been spreading for a while. The one, reportedly there were children

for a summer day camp who were brought inside so they wouldn't be traumatized. And two, you had the LAist reporting that a community health clinic was present there at the park to provide medical services to those there. And the CEO of the clinic plans to pursue legal action against the federal government for their actions. And as far as more details,

you had local reports saying that the aides also wore no identification as they made their way through the park. The operation's now also facing loud backlash from city leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass. But Bass saying that she got to the park as soon as she heard about it and telling reporters. They need to leave and they need to leave right now.

They need to leave because this is unacceptable. Right, as far as if anyone actually got scooped up, you had the LA Times saying it's unclear if anyone was actually arrested during the sweep because a senior department of Homeland Security official only told the outlet, we don't comment on ongoing enforcement operations. So also in a press conference,

you had Mayor Bass saying that it doesn't look like anyone was actually arrested. I do not believe that anyone was detained. Maybe they were, but then again, I don't think the goal is to detain. I think the goal is to spread fear. I think that's what it is. It's to terrorize Angelina. You also had bass saying that she met

with some of the camp kids who were forced inside because of the raid. And even though she didn't tell them what was going on or why she was there, she said they still express fear. But did this eight year old tell me that he was afraid of ice? Did the eight year old tell me that he was afraid of ice taking his parents and he didn't think it was good to take people away?

So understand that that eight year old knows enough of what's going on, that he's already traumatized in anticipation. What I saw in the park today, looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation. It's the way a city looks before a coup. And as far as why the agents were even there in the first place, you had the AP reporting. Two defense officials told reporters

that what happened at MacArthur Park on Monday was not a military operation, but acknowledged that the size and scope of the guards' participation could make it look like one to the public and saying the primary role of the service members would be to protect the immigration enforcement officers in case a hostile crowd gathered.

But ultimately the operation only lasted an hour and so far officials have not said why they targeted MacArthur Park specifically or why it ended so quickly. But notably that area, it's known for being home to a large population of immigrants in LA. And so you had a city council member saying during a conference. MacArthur Park is the Ellis Island of the West Coast.

It was chosen as this administration's latest target precisely because of who lives there and what it represents. Resilience, diversity, and the American dream. Please understand that's what's happening here in the city of Los Angeles. We are the canary in the coal mine. What you see happening at MacArthur Park is coming to you.

Right, notably you have them saying that as ice raids in Los Angeles have already been making headlines. With Trump also very controversially sending the National Guard to the city last month. And so now tons of leaders in the area are calling the latest incident out of MacArthur Park, a political stunt with the likes of Senator Alex Padilla writing armored vehicles, tactical gear,

military grade weapons, all for the show. This isn't security, it's intimidation. With an also the president of the LA city council saying. This morning look like a staging for a TikTok video. And what we say to border patrol is the council, if you want to film in LA, you should apply for a film permit like everybody else and stop trying to scare the bejesus out of everybody

who lives in this great city. And well with all this, you have people like Ken Klippenstein reporting that he obtained documents showing that the operation was a mere show of presence. It also looks like this may happen again with for example, Gregory Bovino, a Customs and Border Protection Chief in South California tweeting yesterday,

we may well go back to MacArthur Park or other places in and around Los Angeles. And saying illegal aliens had the opportunity to self-deport, now we'll help things along a bit. So you know, a lot is being said, a lot is happening, a lot is developing and for now we'll have to wait to see how it plays out. And then we've got more news for you in just a minute,

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Instacart has you covered. Download the Instacart app and enjoy $0 delivery fees on your first three orders. Service fees, exclusions, and terms apply. Instacart, groceries that over-deliver. But then next up today, we need to talk about Israel now planning to move the entire population of Gaza into a single so-called humanitarian city

built on the ruins of a city that it destroyed. And this being seen as another step toward following through on some version of Donald Trump's plan to clean out the Gaza Strip, take it over, and turn it into the so-called Riviera of the Middle East. All while Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, who's actually wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, is in Washington saying

that Trump, he should get a Nobel Peace Prize. Going back and taking a closer look, you have the Israeli defense minister announcing this relocation plan in a briefing with reporters, according to an Israeli newspaper. There, you have him saying that he's ordered the country's military to prepare a plan

to establish this humanitarian city in what's left of Rafa, the southernmost city in Gaza. But this also is according to at least one Israeli Holocaust historian, it would neither be humanitarian nor a city. With them instead arguing that the defense minister had laid out clear plans for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the creation of what he called a concentration camp

or a transit camp for Palestinians before they expelled them. And to that point, according to the defense minister, Israeli forces would control the perimeter of the site. Palestinians would go through security screening before entering and once inside, they wouldn't be allowed to leave. And to start, this plan would involve moving 600,000 Palestinians into the area.

Mostly people currently displaced in a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean coast. Then eventually the plan being to have the entire population of Gaza being housed there with the next step then being implementing what he called the emigration plan, which he said will happen. And that as he added that Netanyahu is already leading efforts to find countries willing to take Gazans in.

And on that note, at the White House yesterday, you had Netanyahu is already leading efforts to find countries willing to take Gazans in. And on that note at the White House yesterday, you had Netanyahu claiming that they were getting close to finding several countries willing to do so. Trump then adding that there was great cooperation from countries in the region, although we've seen no sign of that publicly so far. And then besides that you had Netanyahu saying it would be a free choice whether to leave or not.

But of course, unsurprisingly, you've seen people pushing back on the idea and you had one of Israel's leading human rights lawyers saying, well, the government still calls the deportation voluntary. People in Gaza are under so many coercive measures that no departure from the strip can be seen in legal terms as consensual and then adding,

the minister laid out an operational plan for a crime against humanity. It is nothing less than that. And with all of that said, I should note, we have seen some seemingly conflicting information coming from Israeli officials. Right, you know, just hours before the defense minister talked about this plan, you actually had the office

of the IDF's chief of staff reportedly telling the high court that the army doesn't impose forced population expulsions inside or outside of the Gaza Strip. And while forced, you know, it may be the key word there, you also notably had the office claiming that mobilizing the population and concentrating it within Gaza are not among the military's objectives. But that, again, it seems to contradict

what's been said at other times. Like specifically in May, the military approved plans for an operation dubbed Gideon's Chariots. With one of the objectives, which was confirmed by the IDF at the time, literally being the concentration and movement of the population. With all of that said, right,

a lot is gonna depend on what happens in the next few days and weeks. And in fact, you had the defense minister reportedly saying that if conditions permit construction of this city, it would begin during the 60 day Israel Hamas ceasefire. But hey, key point that hasn't been agreed upon yet. Because while Trump, he's expressed confidence that a deal could be reached soon,

Israeli and Hamas negotiators just met for indirect talks for the first time in six weeks on Monday. You've got mediators saying that it's gonna take time. And in the meantime, as usual, the death toll just continues to rise. But I'm seeing, for example, the Israeli military saying a Hamas attack killed five soldiers while Palestinian health officials said

that Israeli strikes had killed 51. And this is, there's also the continued and growing concern about the role of the US and Israeli back Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Reportedly hundreds have been killed trying to access aid. You now have American contractors guarding the distribution sites, telling the Associated Press that bullets, stun grenades, and pepper spray

were used at nearly every distribution, even if there was no threat. With another reportedly telling similar stories to the BBC, saying that, for grenades, and pepper spray were used at nearly every distribution, even if there was no threat. With another reportedly telling similar stories to the BBC, saying that, for example, he saw another guard open fire with a machine gun because a group of women, children, and elderly were moving too slowly away from the site. And then on top of that, you had Reuters reporting that the organization has proposed establishing

so-called humanitarian transit areas inside and potentially outside of the territory to house displaced Palestinians. With then a slide deck seen by the outlet saying that these facilities would be used to one, gain trust with the local population and two, facilitate Donald Trump's vision for Gaza. And then with all of that going on,

you had Netanyahu revealing during his meeting with Trump that he has nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Netanyahu even presenting Trump with a copy of the nomination letter and saying that it was because the president is forging peace as we speak in one country, in one region after the other. And then beyond that, you had the two celebrating

their perceived victory in Iran with Trump saying that Iran wants to restart talks, which Iran notably has not confirmed. And in fact, Israel is reportedly preparing for the possibility of further military action against Iran if it tries rebuilding its nuclear program. There you had sources telling Axios that Israeli officials think that Trump would be on board

there and that is Israel's also carried out its first strikes against the Iran backed Houthis in Yemen for the first time in months. Notably with this being not only after the Houthis is telling Axios that Israeli officials think that Trump would be on board there. And that is Israel's also carried out its first strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen for the first time in months. Notably with this being not only after the Houthis fired at least three missiles at Israel over the weekend, according to the IDF, but also is the group is claiming to have Sanka ship

in the Red Sea for the first time since November and then attacked another vessel and killed three. So that it ends up just being this whole other situation that we're gonna have to keep our eyes on as everything else is developing. But then next up in the news today, some of the country's biggest medical groups are now suing health secretary, RFK Jr.

over what they're calling unlawful unilateral vaccine changes. And with that, they're warning that these changes, they're undermining the trust in vaccines, sparking confusion and ultimately doing harm to public health. With also the lawyer leading the effort saying that Kennedy has been on a decades long mission

to undermine vaccines and betray them as more dangerous than the illnesses that they're designed to prevent. And adding in no uncertain terms, the secretary's intentions are clear. He aims to destroy vaccines. Right, and then with all that, these groups behind the lawsuit, we're talking about the American Academy of Pediatrics,

the American College of Physicians, and the American Public Health Association, just to name a few. With them also joined by a doctor who's more than 20 weeks pregnant and says she's now afraid that she's not gonna be able to get a COVID shot. Because back in May, you had Kennedy announcing

that the CDC would no longer recommend the COVID vaccine for healthy kids or pregnant people. With experts then quickly warning that this could make it harder for people who want vaccines to actually get them, including by creating uncertainty around who is eligible and increasing the cost for patients if insurance no longer covers them. And then beyond that, the decision reportedly went

against years of evidence showing that pregnant women are actually at a higher risk of severe illness, miscarriage, and stillbirth if they contract COVID. With the executive director of the American Public Health Association even saying, from a scientific perspective, a pregnant woman by her very nature is immunocompromised.

And noting that Kennedy's decision, quote, didn't follow the normal process and saying, the secretary's authority needs to have some scientific and procedural basis for the decisions he makes. Otherwise we have someone practicing medicine without a license. But I mean, normally scientific advisors would debate the research and make recommendations.

But Kennedy, he reportedly made the announcement without consulting CDC staff or its independent advisors. And Kennedy actually fired all 17 members of the CDC's Vaccine Advisory Committee and replaced them with figures who have raised doubts about vaccine safety and efficacy. With one of those new appointees even having to withdraw from the committee hours before its first meeting

because of unresolved financial conflicts. But even still, you had the new committee already rescinding recommendations for some flu vaccines. And that, as they said, they'll revisit the childhood and adolescent vaccine schedules along with its guidelines for hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox vaccines. All of which is why you had the likes of the president

of the American Academy of Pediatrics saying, "'Pediatricians cannot stay silent "'as the system we rely on to support life-saving vaccines "'is chiseled away piece by piece.'" You know, ultimately we're gonna have to wait to see if this lawsuit can make a difference. And no matter what, I mean, we've seen this play out, lawsuits take time.

But then next up in the news today, we should talk about this Ted Cruz scandal. Right, because currently you have a lot of people out there saying that it doesn't appear like he learned from all the shit that he got for flying his family to Cancun to stay at a luxury resort back in 2021 during a massive winter storm that left many Texans without power and water.

And that, because he's now facing criticism for being out of the country on a swanky family trip, while his state got hit with devastating floods that have now killed 109 people as of recording this video. Though also that death toll may continue to rise as rescue efforts remain underway. But with this scandal, yesterday you had the Daily Beast reporting that Cruz was in Athens, Greece

when the flooding started. With him sharing a photo of what appeared to be Cruz touring the Parthenon that was reportedly captured a full 24 hours after the Guadalupe River burst its banks. But then reportedly the tourist who took the photo also telling the Houston Chronicle that he had seen Cruz on Saturday at 6 p.m. local time, which would be around 10 a.m. in Texas.

With him adding, I get it, he's on vacation. But after what happened, vacation or not, you should have been back on a plane on his way back to Texas to deal with everything that was going on with those poor kids in the floodplain. But then another eyewitness appearing to reportedly back that timeline up in comments made to the Daily Beast saying he was with his family and a lone security guard.

As he walked past us, I said, 20 kids dead in Texas and you take a vacation? With him claiming he sort of grunted and walked on. His wife shot me a dirty look. Then they continued on with their tour guide. Now with all that, as the picture started to circulate widely online, drawing major backlash,

you had Cruz's office issuing a statement saying that the family trip had been pre-planned. And then adding that quote, within hours he spoke to relevant officials to ensure that the maximum federal assets were available for search and rescue. With him then going on to claim that Cruz and his team worked closely with local officials

and with families of missing girls throughout that time and promptly booked a flight back home. With them then going on to claim that Cruz and his team worked closely with local officials and with families of missing girls throughout that time and promptly booked a flight back home. With the office explicitly saying that Cruz had sought to travel back as fast as humanly possible. And adding, given the time difference, he left Athens on Sunday morning and was back in Texas that night.

And he was in Kerrville on the ground early Monday morning. But now you've got the Daily Beast pushing back on the claim that Cruz tried to return to travel back to Texas as fast as humanly possible. With them reporting that the Senator could have booked numerous flights from Greece to Texas before the one he boarded. And saying that they reviewed flight options

from Athens to San Antonio after seeing the statement from Cruz's office, and they discovered several flights that would have gotten him back sooner than his Sunday return. With them specifically noting that there were multiple flights from Athens to San Antonio, Texas on Friday, July 4th,

and Saturday, July 5th, after the floods hit, and adding, while it is not known how many seats were available on each flight, possible options included flights leaving Athens on Saturday morning and landing in San Antonio that evening via Chicago, Atlanta, or Washington, D.C. The other report also claiming that earlier flights

were available on Friday once the seriousness of the floods became apparent, which then appears to at least be part of the reason why you've seen tons of people slamming Cruz and accusing him of intentionally staying abroad during another natural disaster. Though also that's not the only reason that Cruz has gotten a ton of backlash.

Because you also had the Guardian highlighting and reporting that Cruz personally included a provision in Trump's big, beautiful bill that slash funding for quote, "'Efforts to improve future weather forecasting of events that cause a sort of extreme floods that are being worsened by the human caused climate crisis.'" And reporting that Cruz himself inserted language into the bill that eliminated a $150 million fund

that was created to quote, "'Accelerate advances and improvements in research, "'observation systems, modeling, forecasting assessments, "'and dissemination of information to the public "'around weather forecasting.'" A move that many worry means disasters like what we just saw happen are going to become far more common.

You know, as we keep an eye on this situation, I also wanna take the time to recognize just the amazing people who did straight up heroic work in this horrible disaster. With maybe most notably this US Coast Guard rescue swimmer who helped save the lives of 165 kids. Right, so this is Petty Officer Scott Ruskin. He's 26 years old and he just recently joined the Coast Guard.

In fact, he only graduated from the last of his training about six months ago. And as it turned out, his very first mission came in the form of a search and rescue team in Texas that was gearing up to help the people caught in the flash flooding over the weekend. And so you had his team deploying from Corpus Christi, roughly 200 miles south of Kerr County,

where the floodwaters had battered local summer camps on the banks of the Guadalupe River. And specifically, they were headed to Camp Mystic, where roughly 200 campers and counselors needed to be rescued. And you know, as they waited for help, counselors did what they could to keep the campers safe, pushing them out of the windows, placing them on mattresses to float on the rising water.

And that is what should have been an hour long flight for Scott's team, turned at roughly six hours in the air because of the brutal storm. But then after four attempts and some help from the Air National Guard, they made their way through the storm and from above, they could see the utter devastation that the flood was causing along with the sight of, quote,

about 200 kids, mostly all scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life. And once they were able to land at Camp Mystic, the team was called away to another more dangerous location. With the crew deciding that the best thing to do would be to leave Scott at Camp Mystic as a triage coordinator, leaving enough space in the aircraft

for the team to airlift 15 kids from the other site. And so at Camp Mystic, Scott spent three hours gathering the campers above the floodwater and listening to counselors tell stories about pushing kids out of the cabins before the floodwaters rushed in. With Scott then telling Good Morning America. I'm kind of discovered I was the only person there as far as like first responders go.

So yeah, I had about 200 kids mostly, all scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life. And I just kind of need to triage them, get them to a higher level of care and get them off the flood zone. And to Scott, he worked to reassure them as much as he could.

Yeah, yeah, this was definitely the real deal, but I just remembered that when I got on scene, there was 200 kids looking to someone for some sort of comfort and safety. They don't really know what my experience is or my rank or my age. They just know, hey, this guy's a professional and he's here to help us

and I kind of had to live up to that standard. But then finally, a Texas Air National Guard aircraft landing at the guy's a professional and he's here to help us. And I kind of had to live up to that standard. But then finally at Texas Air National Guard aircraft landing at the camps archery and soccer field. With Scott then leading the kids 10 to 15 at a time over to the aircraft and focusing on the youngest first and even carrying some to avoid wet rocks or even worse injuries to their bare feet. And in total, he helped rescue 165 kids this way.

And the Department of Homeland Security has hailed him as an American hero. With the matting, the extraordinary bravery and selfless service of Ruskin and his fellow first responders embody the very spirit of the United States Coast Guard and the best of what it means to be an American. Though Scott, you know, he pointed to the counselors

and the kids as the heroes saying their bravery, it's what helped him to be a better rescuer. The real heroes I think were too the kids on the ground, like those guys are heroic and you know, they were dealing with some of the worst times of their lives and they were staying strong and that helped inspire me to kind of get in there and help them out. I know it doesn't fix anything.

It doesn't undo the horrible that has transpired. But I do often think when these horrible things happen, it is important to see those who run in to help. We often lose sight of the humanity and heart amid all the horrible. And I think it's important to remember this. There are helpers and heroes among us and they don't do it for the spotlight,

but I think it's important we give it to them. But then my friends, you beautiful bastards, is where today's important to remember this. There are helpers and heroes among us and they don't do it for the spotlight, but I think it's important we give it to them. But then my friends, you beautiful bastards, is where today's show is gonna end. Of course, thank you for watching. Thank you for subscribing. And remember, I'll see you right back here tomorrow because I got a brand new show for you every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

at 6 p.m. Eastern, 3 p.m. Pacific. Love you, mean it, bye.