The Philip DeFranco Show - The Erica Kirk Situation is Worse Than You Think

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Starting point is 00:01:05 Swarming your fruit and terrorizing your kitchen. These little freaks multiply at a rate that would make a rabbit say yo. Chill. But Laura shopped on Amazon and saved on cleaning spray, countertop wipes, and fly traps. Hey, fruit flies, your baby boom ends here. Save the Everyday with Amazon. We've got to talk about this crazy Erica Kirk situation slash Maga Street Fight, the disturbing new David murder case details, some huge Iran war developments,

Starting point is 00:01:37 and how the Republicans are making a mad dash to try to rig the midterms. First, I have a quick special guest. Hey guys, so I'm Lindsay DeFranco, and I'm running for Georgia State House and District 47. Let me show you the map because a lot of people, because of gerrymandering, don't even know what district they're in. If you need to know a district journey, you can go to this website right here. Now look, my district encompasses some of Northwestern. West Roswell, Northeast Alpharetta, Milton, and free home up in Cherokee County. Very convenient.

Starting point is 00:02:03 I will be bringing this everywhere with me. Now, let me tell you a little secret. This seat in District 47 has been held by the same Republican for 24 years. That's right. This district has not been competitive since 2002. And just to give you a little detail on how long that's been, I was 12. I was 12 the last time the seat was up for grabs. And it's not just my seat. The Georgia State House is 10 seats away from before. flipping it from red to blue. Just 10 seats. And the math is there. The math works. And we really have a good shot this year. And I think the Republicans are kind of scared. We are so close to being able to break through a Republican supermajority that has held the state for decades.

Starting point is 00:02:41 The district has changed. The state has changed. And fortunately, I don't have a primary opponent. So I will be on the ballot in November no matter what. However, the frontrunner to run against me on the Republican side is a 24-year-old. A 24-year-old who was handpicked. by the Republican establishment, and one of his most notable endorsements came from a Georgia fake elector. A Georgia fake elector who is now a state senator. Yeah, he's endorsed by a Republican who signed a fraudulent document after the 2020 election claiming that Trump actually won Georgia when he didn't. Just percolate on that a little bit. I'm not exaggerating. You can go look it up. So here's the deal. The Georgia fundraising deadline is tonight at midnight. And while Phil and I have put in a

Starting point is 00:03:24 a bunch of our own money because we truly believe that we can win this race. The fact of the matter is, in general, Republicans are able to put more money into politics, but also, especially in this district, it's the Republican Party that has more money. And I believe that once they realize what they're really up against, they're going to pump in a lot more. So how can you help? I'm so glad you asked. You can go to Lindsay 4G-A.com. That's L-I-N-D-S-A-Y-F-O-R-G-A-com and click on Donate. There's a big donate button at the top and chip in whatever you can. $5, $10, $25, $100, $500, $5,000, $500,000, $500,000, $5 million. You know, whatever you can do.

Starting point is 00:04:07 We all deserve representation that delivers on affordability, health care, strong and safe communities, fully funded public schools, and more opportunity, not just more of the same with a different tie. Your government should work as hard as you do. And one more thing, as most of us know, yesterday the Supreme Court decided to gut the Voting Rights Act or what was left of it. So if there was ever a time to put your money behind people who are trying to hold the line in Georgia, it's now. The time is now, LFG, which stands for Lindsay for Georgia. Thank you so much for your time. I love you so much.

Starting point is 00:04:36 I guess you can have fillback now. Erica Kirk just hit at Candice Owens, Drusky, journalists, and even teachers and American citizens. With Kirk posting a video addressing the White House correspondent's dinner shooting which she attended. And she started by saying this. It seems to me that nothing will ever be enough for the evil in this world. Our country has become unrecognizable. These people have perverted the truth to the point that they motivated the murder of my husband. They have continuously tried to assassinate the president.

Starting point is 00:05:06 You know, you had many of her supporters waiting for this because the video from the dinner showed Erica leaving after the shooting and tears saying she just wanted to go home. You also had some questioning why she went in the first place, with some noting that she previously backed out of a turning point event with J.D. Vance because of security threats, even though Secret Service would be present. It seemingly was because she wanted to confront reporters head on. And it was because many of the journalists in that room have attempted to dehumanize me. And I wanted to meet some of them face to face, quite frankly. Why have a conversation about me when you can have a conversation with me? With Erica seeming to take issue with the fact that reporters from opposing outlets were spending the night playing nice, even though they knew the next day they'd just return to conflict and infighting.

Starting point is 00:05:44 And she was also upset with their choice to immediately pull out their phones after shots broke out. And so during an act of shooting, these journalists are using their phones to find moments to capture for clips. They were so concerned about getting a video in a room with an active shooter that they could have accidentally and quite literally filmed themselves being shot. Many of those people have become so desensitized that fighter flight became secondary to the opportunity of putting themselves into the story. Erica then taking aim at the suspected shooter, who's a teacher and engineer from California, but then also not just hitting him, but all teachers?

Starting point is 00:06:23 This is why Charlie started Turning Point USA in the first place. He didn't trust the radicalized liberal teachers. You have these people who are supposed to be teaching our children the future of this country, and he's so unhinged that he is able to teach children by day and then attempt to murder the president of the United States by night. And in his manifesto, he starts by contextualizing himself by saying, I am a citizen of the United States of America. And while we may have big problems with illegal immigration in this country,

Starting point is 00:07:00 I have to tell you we have an even bigger problem when it comes to this systemic indoctrination and radicalization of our own citizens. This is what got my husband killed. You then had Erica Kirk expressing sympathy for Melania Trump for having to endure multiple assassination attempts against her husband. She also called out anyone who she thinks mocked it, starting with Jimmy Kimmel. And then she focused on what she's dealt with personally since Charlie was killed. Every morning I wake up to endure.

Starting point is 00:07:26 new headline lying about me. I have comedians dressing up in white face. I have people saying I'm not fit to be CEO and I have Candace Owens claiming I murdered my husband. So there she's clearly referring to the bit that Drusky did where he dressed up as a white Republican woman who loves pyrotechnics. And then of course there's Candace Owens who has spent months stringing together webs of conspiracies about Charlie's death. Though depending on who you ask, you'll get varying answers as to whether or not Candace has actually implicated Erica of any wrongdoing. So you actually had Candace shooting back pretty quickly to defend herself first on Twitter writing. Very uncomfortable to watch.

Starting point is 00:08:02 Painful Promptor Read, a speech clearly written by someone else. Also, of everything I've said about Erica, she chooses to respond to something I never said. They always lie. And when the people correctly point out that she lied, they will inevitably tell us it's our fault for noticing because she's lost her husband. It's a merry-go-round from hell. And actually, later on her show, she added, it's nobody's fault that Erica went to that event other than Erica. But Candace also slamming Erica for being upset with journalists who filmed amid the shooting, arguing that people did the same thing when Charlie was shot. And again, you had her rejecting that she's ever directly claimed that Erica killed Charlie.

Starting point is 00:08:33 The performance of all this is not good. Just an obvious lie. She wakes up to headlines and Candice Owens saying that she killed her husband. The widow grift and trying to tell us that she's allowed to lie to us because her husband died is so on its face absurd that it should be rejected by all people everywhere. Also on Instagram, you had Candice claiming that TPUSA would be using the White House court. correspondence dinner as an excuse to cancel future events and tours with Erica. But then, of course, with all this, there were other reactions aside from Candace. There being plenty of people backing Erica up, applauding her message and choice to defend herself,

Starting point is 00:09:04 condemning Candace. Well, yes, when you go to different places, you get a number of different reactions. Most of the reactions we've been able to find of this video, they were pretty negative. We're just a ton of people making fun of her outfit saying that she's calling out an assassination attempt while dressed like an assassin meets member of Fallout Boy. Others just replying or reposting very distinct facial expression she made. People also face swapping her with Drusky. others also hoping Drusky clowns on her.

Starting point is 00:09:24 And a number of people think that, you know, all she's doing with these kinds of videos is turning public favor away from her. And also at the same time, people thinking that she's just pushing more eyes towards what is the Drusky skit? What is Candice Owen saying? But with all this, as we wait to see what happens next, I got to ask you, what are your thoughts, opinions, and reactions to everything we just saw? Just let me know in those comments down below.

Starting point is 00:09:42 Though also, I'll say, this is not the only story that people are dissecting online right now. Though this next one does involve the person at the center of it being accused of murder. Because we now have the details on the allegations against David and the murder and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Revis Hernandez. Right, if you're not the most familiar with David, he's that singer who got his start making music for Fortnite videos on YouTube. He got very popular online, very fast.

Starting point is 00:10:01 He played a Coachella, went platinum, he even opened for Siza in 2023. Then last year, his fame turned into infamy when the body of a teenager was discovered in the trunk of his Tesla. There were headlines about it in September or last year, with police responding to reports of a foul smell coming from a car and pounded at the Hollywood Tollot lot.

Starting point is 00:10:15 The car had reportedly been abandoned and towed, but when police got there to check out the smell, they found Celeste remains. With him then finding out that the car was registered to David, whose legal name, is David Burke and he was connected to the case as a suspect. And all of this ended up with David canceling the rest of his tour for his first full-length album, but he also wasn't officially arrested until earlier this month. And now we've got these court filings from prosecutors that

Starting point is 00:10:33 outline a very, very horrific chain of events, both leading up to Celeste's death and afterwards. According to prosecutors, David met Celeste when she was just 11 years old and they, quote, began a sexual relationship two years later when he was 18 and she was 13. Personally, that just sounds like a crime to me, but again, I'm just reporting this what they're saying. And also during this time, Celeste ran away from home and was reported missing in February of 2024. You'd police reportedly contacting David, who said that he had only met Celeste once and didn't know that she was a minor. But then, when Celeste reportedly returned home and had her phone taken away by her parents, according to prosecutors, David paid one of Celeste's friends $1,000

Starting point is 00:11:03 to get another phone to her so they could continue talking. Then later, she was reported missing again in April of 2024, and she reportedly spent most of that year traveling with David and going to his house in the Hollywood Hills. And then we get to April of 2025, with the filing saying that Celeste and David, they had gotten into an argument over text, And saying that they argued about, quote, the victim's jealousy over to defendant's relationships with other women, as defendant led her to believe they had a future together. With the filing adding, she became extremely upset and threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship with the defendant to end his career and destroy his life.

Starting point is 00:11:30 Then on April 23, prosecutors say that David sent over an Uber to pick up Celeste at her home at around 8.40 p.m. and bring her to his place in Hollywood Hills. But when she arrived, a little after 10, prosecutors said that David stabbed her. Saying knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendants stabbed the victim to do. death multiple times and stood by while she bled out. If it also sent Celeste a message around 1030 asking where she was, but according to the prosecutors, that was just a way that he was trying to cover his tracks.

Starting point is 00:11:56 They then go on to say that David bought a couple of chainsaws online and used those to cut Celeste body apart inside of an inflatable pool in his garage where prosecutors say that her DNA was found. They say he also bought a body bag and heavy duty laundry bags online to stuff her remains in. Then it also doesn't stop there. David is also accused of cutting off two of Celeste fingers because reportedly they had identifying tattoos, and that including his name on her left ring finger. So also at this point, neither a Celeste's fingers have been recovered, with a prosecutor saying,

Starting point is 00:12:20 the defendant took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim's body. With the madding that he drove over a hundred miles three separate times to get rid of the evidence, including Celeste passport. And he allegedly kept her body in the trunk of his car for months lying to friends and business associates when asked about the smell. And then on top of all of this, when he was arrested, prosecutors say that they also found tons of nude images of Celeste on his phone. But with all of that, as now, David has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him, including first degree murder, lewd, and lascivious acts with a person under 14, and mutilating a dead body.

Starting point is 00:12:45 And while all those charges make him eligible for the death penalty, prosecutors say that they haven't decided whether to pursue that. And as far as his attorneys, they gave a statement when he was arrested, saying the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Revis Hernandez, and he was not the cause of her death, saying there has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David's innocence.

Starting point is 00:13:05 So as of right now, they haven't given their side of the story yet. We do know, though, that the evidentiary hearing's been postponed to the end of May, so it's likely going to be a while before we get any real conclusion. And then there's more we've got to dive into and just, a minute, but first let me thank a sponsor and say, you know, listen, we all know people who aren't exactly in their dream career right now. I mean, I didn't look at where I'm at my industry and I wonder, you know, when I might get to a different place. Thinking about what do I want, how do I get there? But also, here's the thing that nobody tells you. The most successful people in the world,

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Starting point is 00:14:36 says, we're up.com. Then, diving right back into the news, Trump's 60-day deadline for end in the war against Iran, that's tomorrow, but he's actually considering launching more strikes without permission from Congress. He's also expecting the blockade of the street of her moves to last months, as oil prices have hit their highest level since 2022. And all of this is thanks to Trump's war

Starting point is 00:14:53 that experts have argued as illegal under both U.S. and international law, largely because of the lack of any real evidence to suggest that Iran posed an imminent threat or that the administration acted in self-defense. Though also when it comes to U.S. law, the other big factor is that Trump didn't even consult with Congress before attacking, let alone get permission. Right, but also, Trump's war could be about to get even more illegal.

Starting point is 00:15:10 And that's because even if this war met the criteria for the unilateral use of force by a president, the war powers resolution in 1973 puts limits on that use of force. Right under the law, the presidents required to formally notify lawmakers within 48 hours of entering American forces into hostilities. It officially begins a 60-day countdown firm to either obtain congressional authorization or end the military action. And while he can technically extend the clock for an additional 30 days, that's only to allow for the safe withdrawal of American forces. The way one expert explained it to CBS News was to say it's not a 30-day blank

Starting point is 00:15:35 check for the president to continue whatever hostilities he sees fit. And in terms of the timeline for Trump's current war, the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Though Trump, he formally informed members of Congress on March 2nd, so that means that the 60-day deadline is tomorrow. Though also, notably, a ceasefire has been in effect since April 8th. So you've had another expert actually telling CBS that it is possible that the administration is going to argue that the ceasefire stopped the 60-day clock and that any further hostilities reset the clock altogether. And you would defense secretary Pete Heggsett suggesting that the White House would argue something like that when testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee today. And that's even though

Starting point is 00:16:04 you have that expert also claiming that is not something that by its text or by its design, the war powers resolution accommodates. But adding, there is a long history of executive branch lawyers willfully misinterpreting the war powers resolution to allow presidents to conduct hostilities even past that 60-day clock. And with that, I have to know that other presidents, including not only Trump before this war, but also Biden, Obama, Bush, and Clinton, they've been accused of unconstitutional military actions in the past. Though also, someone argued that the current war is an especially egregious violation and that the global consequences are uniquely severe and widespread enough that Congress's lack of action is especially shocking.

Starting point is 00:16:36 With Republicans in the House and Senate, having blocked more than half a dozen resolutions that would have limited Trump's ability to further strike Iran. Though also, you've had several of them suggesting or stating clearly that their position's going to change after the 60-day deadline. But also, because there's not a lot of trust theory, you have Democrats also reportedly looking into other options, including the possibility of suing the Trump administration if he continues the war beyond the deadline without congressional authorization. The really, either way, it's not clear either option will actually work.

Starting point is 00:16:58 Courts have actually dismissed several past war powers-related lawsuits and Trump could actually veto a successful war powers resolution, which he did in 2019 and 2020 in relation to U.S. involvement in Yemen and Iran. Also with this whole situation, you might have seen a headline that an aircraft carrier is going to soon be departing the Middle East. Or people saying that that might be telegraphing what America's going to do. But when looking into it, that's not actually part of a troop drawdown or an effort to comply with the law. It just appears to be because the ship is in need of repairs. Which, yeah, makes sense because it's been deployed for 309 days, a record actually for the longest time any modern U.S. aircraft carrier has been at sea.

Starting point is 00:17:27 Also, in a similar venue at Trump announcing yesterday that the U.S. is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany with a determination to be made over the next short period of time. But that doesn't appear to be for any strategic reason. Instead, it seems like a response to recent comments from the German Chancellor that the US has been humiliated by Iran in this war. Especially since the announcement was followed up with an attack on the Chancellor on social media. Though I will say, even before that you had Trump considering scaling back the American true presence in Europe. A possibility that is especially alarming to many because of Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine and fears that Putin may even attack a smaller, newer member of NATO like Estonia or Latvia to test the alliance. An alliance, of course,

Starting point is 00:18:00 that many say has been weakened by Trump's insults, threats, and unwillingness to reassure its members that the U.S. would actually honor its commitments. Right, and with Germany specifically, like on top of everything else we talked about, that's the most important country for the U.S. military in Europe. Right, it's home to what's called European Command. It hosts around 35,000 American troops, and it's the main hub for medical treatment, aircraft, arming, and maintenance. Right. It's believed, it's believed in Germany. They've played a valuable, logistical, and supporting role in operations against Iran, which has actually been a source of controversy over there. A controversy that might get even bigger is you have Axios reporting

Starting point is 00:18:27 that the head of U.S. Central Command briefed Trump today on several options. With the main one being considered, apparently being a short and powerful wave of strikes in Iran, likely including infrastructure targets, which would be aimed at breaking the stalemate in negotiation. And with this, you had Bloomberg reporting that CENTCOM has asked to send the army's dark eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for possible use against Iran, where it would be meant to specifically target ballistic missile launchers deep inside of the country beyond the range of the military's other weapons. And actually, if this gets approved, this would be the first time the U.S. has deployed the system. A system that, one, is apparently running far behind schedule. And two, hasn't even been declared fully operational, despite Russia and China having deployed their own version.

Starting point is 00:18:59 But then also in any case, another option reportedly being considered is a partial takeover moves as part of an effort to reopen it to commercial shipping and operation that would also include ground forces. Right. And then you have a third option, which has been discussed before, which is a special forces mission to secure Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. And you have all of this as military planners are reportedly considering the possibility that Iran's going to attack American forces in the region first in retaliation for the blockade, which Trump reportedly sees as his main source of leverage right now. Although we apparently understands that if it's going to work, it's going to take time, right? With he and other top officials having met oil and gas executives

Starting point is 00:19:28 at the White House this week. Reportedly a meeting to discuss, quote, steps they could take to continue the current blockade for months if needed and minimize impact on American consumers. But because as we know, the people making obscene amounts of money off this war while poisoning the air and warming the planet, the one thing they obviously have

Starting point is 00:19:41 in common is that they have the American consumers best interests at heart, especially as oil prices have now hit their highest level since the war began, topping $126 per barrel overnight before dropping back down a bit. And with that, US gas prices, which typically trail oil prices by a few days, they've also reached their highest point

Starting point is 00:19:55 since the start of the war, jumping to a national average of $4.23 a gallon yesterday. The cost for drivers has gone up by 42%. But despite all that, how it's hitting Americans, you had Trump assuring reporters at the White House yesterday that the blockade is genius. And he also suggested that he's really not in a rush for talks with Iran to continue, saying there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will be no nuclear weapon. Though, of course, Iran, they technically said that they don't want a nuclear weapon. And the disagreement is over its stockpile of uranium and insistence on a right to enrichment. So you're seeing some experts saying that, you know,

Starting point is 00:20:21 Trump's continued all-or-nothing approach. It's not exactly conducive to a deal. And that's also an argument that seems to fit with what an anonymous Iranian official reportedly told the Washington Post, right, which is that, that, Others and the regime have now given in to pressure from the country's military and political hardliners to de-prioritize negotiations with the U.S. Also saying that it would be very difficult for the U.S. to get even the five-year suspension on enrichment offered by Iran during the first round of talks. And you also had this official acknowledging the impact of Trump's blockade, but saying it will not make us surrender. We have PhDs and sanctions evasion. We will find a way. And while you have the Iranian economy, yes, struggling with businesses closing, people losing jobs, prices rising, and the currency plummeting, there are also signs that the country can just deal with it for a while. Or with, for example, a report from Reuters saying that, despite

Starting point is 00:20:58 Like everything, Iran has plentiful internal supplies, steady trade with neighbors, and only limited signs of immediate stress from state revenue losses caused by the blockade. And while Trump, he's now actually claimed more than once that the country's oil infrastructure is so backed up, it might just explode any day? That's almost definitely not true. You had one expert telling the Washington Post, and most agreeing, that is not how it works. Nothing is going to self-destruct. And Iran's believed to have weeks or maybe even months before it risks running out of places

Starting point is 00:21:21 to store the oil that it's producing. Something that could potentially happen if oil facilities have to turn off is a problem known as a shut-in, where which can cause serious damage and make oil reserves and accessible. But overall, experts disagree about what, if any of the long-term impacts going to ultimately be, if Iran's forced to halt production. Either way, for now, you have Iranian leadership continuing to strike a defiant tone. And you actually have the Supreme Leader who still hasn't been seen in public and is believed to have serious and disfiguring injuries issuing a rare statement this week. But them suggesting that Iran intends to keep control over the Strait of Hormuz saying that

Starting point is 00:21:47 its new legal rules and new management will make the Gulf more secure and benefit all the region's nations. He also vowed to protect Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities, and he claimed that the only place that Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf is at the bottom of its wall. saying that a new chapter was being written in the region's history. But then in the face of all that, and his testimony this morning, you had Heggseth claiming that everything is just going fantastically. We generally echoing many of the same points that he made yesterday. And again, he said,

Starting point is 00:22:09 The biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans. Really, anyone with eyes and ears who talks or even looks at other people know that it's not just Democrats and some Republicans in Congress. The war appears to be broadly unpopular. And even just outside of the administration, MagaWorld is divided on this war and increasingly focusing its sights on Israel. Though notably, you have some of these figures going beyond just criticism of Netanyahu

Starting point is 00:22:36 and the country's influence in American politics. Something that many saying was on display when Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Green got together. Or with Green, claiming on Carlson's show that this war, it's only happening because Trump had to sell his soul to Israel like every other politician. To become president of the United States, there's deals that have to be made. Otherwise, you aren't allowed to have that power. And you can look at every single president and look at their career and the decisions that they made. And you can very quickly see that they made their deal to support Israel at all times.

Starting point is 00:23:08 Every single United States president, the vast majority of members of Congress completely pledged their allegiance. They pledged their complete allegiance to the government of Israel and their purpose and their protection. and whatever endeavor they decide to pursue, whether it's right or wrong, whether it helps America or even if it hurts America, they still pledge their full allegiance. They make that deal. And Tucker, I don't care what anybody thinks about me, but I believe that Trump had to make a deal like this in order to become president. Ultimately, that's where this war has brought some of Trump's formerly most loyal supporters. And you know, whatever conspiracy theories they're pushing or anyone else is pushing,

Starting point is 00:23:57 the underlying feeling that the U.S. got dragged into another war that it didn't need to be a part of, that might be something that a lot of Americans are feeling. But then also, as the shit show continues abroad, we have to talk about the absolute chaos that's playing out right here at home for millions of Louisiana voters. Because their governor just announced that he is suspending primary elections for the state's congressional seats so that Republicans can redraw election maps. And that is despite the fact that early voting is set to start in a matter of days, and some ballots have already been sent out.

Starting point is 00:24:20 But of course, this move, it comes just 24 hours after the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's current congressional map and a sweeping decision that effectively gutted the voting rights act and gave red states a massive edge in all future elections. Because like we talked about yesterday, the map in question there made it so that black voters had a majority in two of the state in two of the state's in order to reflect the fact that they're a third of the state. Or they were trying to comply with the VRA, which prevents racial gerrymandering that dilutes the power of minority voters. But the now conservative Supreme Court, they ruled that the map itself actually amounted to an illegal racial gerrymandering. And so they decided that the

Starting point is 00:24:46 solution was to actually weaken the VRA and make it a lot easier for states to gerrymandering in a way that diminishes the votes of minority groups. And if you're like, that sounds backwards, Phil, yeah. And so because of this ruling, red states that were forced to create minority majority districts to comply with the VRA, they're now having more leeway to redraw those lines in ways that could give Republicans major electoral advantages

Starting point is 00:25:05 in state legislatures and as many as 19 seats in Congress. And so this ruling set off this scramble in red states to determine whether they can redo their maps before the midterm elections or if they'll have to wait until 2028. Well, most states likely can't do too much right now because they've already had their primaries. There are around half a dozen states that could potentially make changes.

Starting point is 00:25:20 And a lot of eyes, they're on Louisiana in particular because one, it was at the center of this case, and two, the ruling came just days before its primary was supposed to kick off. Literally, early voting for them starts this Saturday for the May 16th primaries. And again, absentee balance have already been sent to overseas voters weeks ago. So changing everything now, it could and likely will be incredibly disruptive and confusing for voters. But apparently that doesn't matter to the Republicans, with Louisiana's governor and attorney general releasing a joint statement today saying that because of the Supreme Court ruling,

Starting point is 00:25:44 the state was prohibited from carrying out congressional elections under the current map and adding, We are working together with the legislature and the Secretary of State's office to develop a path forward. But also, to make the situation even more chaotic and confusing, the leaders didn't say whether the suspension only applies to the state's six house seats, or if they would still hold other primary elections initially scheduled on May 16, which would include a high-stakes Senate race, constitutional amendments, and several local contests. But actually, as I was recording this, we saw the Louisiana Secretary of State releasing a statement saying that those other primary elections will still be held on May 16,

Starting point is 00:26:13 and that early voting for those races will still start this Saturday, but then adding, Our office will post notices at each of the early voting sites to alert the public of this change. While the US House races will remain on voters' ballots, any votes cast in those races will not be counted. So you have a situation where these changes are being made so last minute that early voters will literally have to fill out partially defunct ballots that include races that no longer even exist. And apparently they're just gonna rely on notices posted at voting locations to inform everyone about this major confusing change. I guess they're just gonna put up some printer paper on a doorway that says, hey, just skip voting for Congress for now, I guess. If you want your vote to count for realzies, you'll have to come back again on an undetermined date and just, yeah, do it again.

Starting point is 00:26:51 So you know, with just all this chaos, you have advocates and Democrats slamming this move, saying that it's going to create total chaos and undermine the democratic process. You also had one expert explaining that even though it might be legal for Louisiana to move the primary, it's simply not true that the Supreme Court blocked the state from carrying out congressional elections under the old map. And that was something that was echoed by State Representative Kyle Green, a former assistant state attorney general who argued, the court's decision does not halt the election process on its own. And any attempt to suspend or disrupt an ongoing election at this stage would raise serious constitutional concerns. But it's also currently unclear if any meaningful legal challenges will emerge, at least before the new maps are drawn up. Right, and that says the state's Republican legislature has a possibility to gerrymanders so they could pick up one, maybe even two seats.

Starting point is 00:27:27 But also, when we see this pop up here and there, if they go too hard, they could open themselves up to more legal challenges. Which could then drag out this whole process even longer and who the fuck knows what would happen with the primaries in that hypothetical. And again, this is just Louisiana of the states that could still change their maps. Republican lawmakers and the Mississippi legislature, they're already planning to get to get to. convene a special session. Though notably, that would just be for state Supreme Court elections. Meanwhile, Republicans in Tennessee are also reportedly debating a pre-midterm redraw with a Speaker of the State House telling reporters. We are reviewing the recent opinion as I have conversations with the White House and other individuals. With Trump himself also claiming in a post-untruth

Starting point is 00:27:58 social, I had a very good conversation with Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee this morning, wherein he stated that he would work hard to correct the unconstitutional flaw in the congressional maps of the great state of Tennessee, and adding that all of the other political representatives of Tennessee have promised to do so. And you have Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp, saying that he is analyzing the ruling. and its potential impacts on the midterms. So there, it's unclear what Kemp could actually do, because early voting's actually already underway here.

Starting point is 00:28:19 In fact, I voted this morning, if you couldn't tell by my obnoxious sticker. I love it. I made my picks. I know a lot of people are wondering. Yes, I voted for Lindsay DeFranco for House District 47. But actually, on a serious note, despite the seemingly insurmountable hurdle, the Georgia House speaker right now

Starting point is 00:28:32 refused to roll out the possibility that the legislature would take up redistricting when pressed by local outlets. And in fact, the Georgia Republican Party chairman voice support for a move like that. This is just my opinion, but I feel like you can tell that just so many of them are

Starting point is 00:28:43 terrified. They know that Trump and much of the party, they're failing their constituents. And many just seem very down to try to undo or ignore the will of the people, right, rather than actually try to have better policy that helps people. But then from that, as we start to wind down today's show, I've got two last things. Congratulations and our final story of the day. So first, congratulations to Kevin Sique's latest weekly winner who just scored $500 in tickets. For the rest of y'all, that's right, Seek is still giving away $500 in tickets and you should definitely answer today if you haven't already. Imagine me in the next winter and snagging $500 start seeing your favorite artist, sporting event or play. There's like over 70,000 events to

Starting point is 00:29:12 choose from. You just got to add code to Franco to your Seekkeek app profile for a chance of the weekly $500 prize, no purchase necessary. Then, diving right back into the news, Fed Chair Jerome Powell just stared Trump in the face and said, I'm not backing down. Because as you might remember last week, Trump's prosecuted for the District of Columbia, the former Fox host Janine Piro, she dropped her criminal probe into Powell and the Federal Reserve. Instead, saying that the Fed's Inspector General would review the case, but also she warned that she will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts weren't doing so. And so was expected by some that Powell would finally give Trump what he so badly desired a resignation letter.

Starting point is 00:29:44 But instead, what you had was Powell getting up on stage and he was basically like, how stupid do you think I am? I've said that I will not leave the board until this investigation is well and truly over with transparency and finality. And I stand by that. After my term as chair ends on May 15, I will continue to serve as a governor for a period of time to be determined. So this is actually the first time a departing Fed chair is going to remain on the governing

Starting point is 00:30:06 board since 1948. So that kind of tells you how unusual all this is. As far as Trump with all this, he got on truth social and said, Jerome, too late Powell wants to stay at the Fed because he can't get a job anywhere else. Nobody wants him. As far as Powell, when he was asked to explain why he's staying on, he said, come on. My concern is really about the series of legal attacks on the Fed, which threaten our ability to conduct monetary policy without considering political factors. The things that have happened in really in the last three months have, I think, left me no choice but to stay until I see them through at least that long. So while Powell's stepping aside to let Trump's nominee, Kevin Warsh, take over his chair by,

Starting point is 00:30:39 remaining as one of the seven governors, he's effectively denying Trump a majority. Right, because currently, Trump's got three appointees on the board, but one of them's also leaving when Warsh comes in, so it ends up kind of just being the same. Which means, at least for the time being, Trump's efforts to control the Fed, it's been, let's say, hampered once again, though that's probably not going to last last last last last last last month's that long. Right, because as a governor, Powell's term ends on January 2028, and that's assuming he even stays on for the full term.

Starting point is 00:31:00 Though also I say, right, this event where he announced his plan to stay, it's actually his last press conference's chair, and he also took the opportunity to light up Trump without directly naming him. Noting in a very professional and dispassionate monotone that there was 3.5% inflation and margin that it was, boosted by the significant rise in global oil prices that has resulted from the conflict in the Middle East. And Powell then also added that just core inflation, which doesn't include food and energy, that was 3.2% in March. This relatively high rate largely reflects the effects of tariffs on prices in the goods sector. So as a result, he said that they're going to be keeping interest rate steady for another quarter,

Starting point is 00:31:31 rather than cutting them like Trump wants because economists predict that cutting rates would increase inflation even more. But also a key thing is that Powell did signal that, rate cuts could be on the table in the coming months. And his decision to even suggest that possibility, it ended up drawing a lot of scrutiny. But reportedly, three Fed officials disagreed with it, while a fourth actually wanted to cut rates immediately. It was officially the most disagreement

Starting point is 00:31:48 in a Fed meeting since 1992. And so also, there's a fear among some that with Powell as a board governor, the division's just gonna get even worse because we'll have kind of a two popes situation. At a situation where Kevin Warsh is technically the Fed chair, but nobody actually takes him seriously

Starting point is 00:32:00 and he won't be able to build a consensus on the board. And in this scenario, you'd have Powell kind of acting as a shadow chair from his governor's seat. Though I will say, Powell shot down that idea yesterday. Instead, stressing that he wants to have a low profile as governor. And as for Warsh, in the meantime, that Senate Banking Committee just moved him ahead

Starting point is 00:32:14 for a chamber wide vote on his confirmation. So even if Trump couldn't kick Powell out, he at least got through the resistance in Congress. But that my friends, you beautiful bastards is the end of your Thursday, Philip DeFranco show, dive into the news, but some end of show housekeeping. Of course, remember, if you wanna join the cause,

Starting point is 00:32:27 join the fight against craziness, go to LindsayforGia.com. Every little bit helps, whether it's getting the word out or campaign donations. These are elections that can literally be decided by one, two, three votes. With your help, Lindsay and a handful of other Democrats could flip the Georgia State House blue.

Starting point is 00:32:39 Also second, my favorite thing to do, promote myself. Well, this weekend's New York show is sold out if you wanna snag tickets for our greater tour, right at crashingout tour.com, those are still available. At least 12 more cities, 12 more dates. Right, Seattle, Portland, Boston, Billy, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Paul, D.C. and Pittsburgh. And finally, three, hey, just have yourself a good weekend.

Starting point is 00:33:00 Thank you for watching. I love yo faces and I'll see ya next time. I can't tell him this night. It's you. It's all. No, it's you. I smell amazing. No, it's not. I smell amazing. We got spray tans yesterday. You smell great. I know, someone smells. What? It's just the vibe, I guess. Okay.

The Philip DeFranco Show - The Erica Kirk Situation is Worse Than You Think

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