The Philip DeFranco Show - What Happens If Trump Strikes Iran Tonight

Starting point is 00:00:00 A whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again. That, it's the latest threat against Iran from the apparently unhinged madman in charge of the most powerful military in the world. And as a filming, we're just hours away from finding out whether this madman otherwise known as U.S. President Donald Trump's going to follow through on his threat. A threat to commit what many experts say would almost certainly be war crimes, with potentially catastrophic consequences for people in Iran, across the region and around the globe, if Iran doesn't agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. With Trump's setting the deadline tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, although Trump's already pushed it back several times. Right with Trump warning each time that failure to comply would result in the U.S. hitting civilian infrastructure in the country, potentially, including power plants, desalination facilities, oil installations, and bridges.

Starting point is 00:00:37 And again, that says you have legal experts far and wide, warning that striking civilian infrastructure is generally a war crime under international humanitarian law. Which would almost definitely be the case here, since Trump's comments suggest that this isn't really about gaining a military advantage, but about inflicting suffering in Iran's population to force its government into submission. Of course, that's in addition to experts noting that the attacking in the first place, without UN authorization, without any clear self-defense rationale violated international law. And the strikes that have happened since then, which have hit schools, health facilities, and homes, as well as reportedly killed more than 1,600 civilians.

Starting point is 00:01:06 Well, some of those, they may have crossed the line as well. And again, I know that sounds like a wild line. We're not talking about morally. We're talking about technically and definitionally. And then with all this, even as we're waiting to see what happens when Trump's deadline passes, the U.S. and Israel, they're already intensifying attacks in an effort to force Iran's hand. And so overnight, for example, the U.S. struck what it said were military targets on

Starting point is 00:01:23 Karg Island, which is Iran's main oil export hub. Also, overnight strikes reportedly took out a synagogue in Tehran. And today, you were the Israeli military announcing that it had launched a new wave of attacks on what it said was Iranian government infrastructure, warning Iranians to avoid train travel until 9 p.m. local time. And then with that, you would at least three people reported killed when an air strike hit a railway bridge. Iranian media outlets also reporting attacks on other bridges throughout the country and authorities then announcing that they had suspended train service on two major rail lines. And then on the flip side, from the start of the war, you know,

Starting point is 00:01:49 Iran's also attacked civilian infrastructure across the Middle East, including energy infrastructure, ports and airports, and today it targeted energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. And due to the Revolutionary Guard Court claiming that it would be willing to widen the scope of its attacks beyond the region if Trump followed through on his threats. Though also, at the same time, both sides have reportedly been engaging in indirect talks over the past several days. With international mediators led by Pakistan, first putting forward a 45-day ceasefire proposal, which Iran apparently rejected and responded to with a 10-point plan of its own. And while the details weren't immediately clear, Iran reportedly wanted a guarantee that it wouldn't be attacked again,

Starting point is 00:02:21 as well as an end to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, along with the lifting of sanctions. And in return, they'd lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but it would also still plan to impose a fee of roughly $2 million per ship that travels through it. A fee that would then be split with Oman, the country on the other side of the waterway. And then Iran, they'd reportedly use its share of the proceeds to reconstruct infrastructure that was destroyed by American and Israeli attacks instead of asking for direct compensation. Though also with that, reports have suggested that Iran's already charging a toll for some of the few ships that it is allowing to transit the straight right now.

Starting point is 00:02:47 And then with that, there's apparently been an uptick in traffic with 21 ships reportedly making it through over the weekend, the highest two-day total since the first days of the war. That said, though, it was only a fraction of the numbers of ships that would have gone through before the war. So with the problem, you know, far from resolved, you had more than 40 countries coming together to try to figure out options for securing international shipping in the region. And while the U.S. hasn't been involved in that effort, you did have Trump claiming yesterday that his administration has a concept in mind where the U.S. will actually be the ones that control the strait and charge tolls instead, saying,

Starting point is 00:03:13 Why shouldn't we? We're the winner. We won, okay? They are militarily defeated. You also had Trump responding to Iran's 10-point plan yesterday saying that it wasn't good enough, but also describing it as a significant step and adding, We're doing with different people. They're smarter. I think they're sharper and far less radical. I can tell you they're negotiating we think in good faith. And Trump continued to make that claim with his post, threatening to wipe Iranian civilization off the face of the earth this morning writing, I don't want that to happen, but it probably will.

Starting point is 00:03:44 However, now that we have complete and total regime change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen. Who knows? We will find out tonight one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death will finally end. God bless the great people of Iran. But of course, with that, well, many leaders have been killed,

Starting point is 00:04:04 the available evidence suggests that this is the same regime that just killed thousands of protesters back in January. The new supreme leader over there, he might actually be way more of a hardliner than his father, and the Revolutionary Guard, they've only consolidated power under his leadership. And actually, over the course of this, this war, they've carried out executions, detained human rights activists and their families, and generally unleash yet another crackdown to keep their grip on power. And Trump, even

Starting point is 00:04:23 while he's pushed that one narrative, he's seemingly acknowledged the reality. Or with them telling PBS yesterday that the only reason the Iranian people are not protesting is because they will be shot immediately. And actually with that, contrary to rising up, you've got people in Iran reportedly now forming human chains along bridges and around power plants in response to Trump's threats. Although reportedly, Iran's governments organized rallies and its support throughout the war, so it's not clear exactly if this is a real spontaneous movement or anything. And And as far as the official response, there were reports that the country caught off communications with the U.S. telling mediators who had no longer participate in talks that it believed that it was winning the war and that its weapons arsenal was nowhere near depleted, saying they had more than 15,000 missiles and 45,000 drones left to attack with. But then, you also had a state-controlled newspaper indicating that diplomatic and indirect channels with the U.S. remained open.

Starting point is 00:05:04 Also, Axios reported that there was some hope that a deal could be reached in time. And you also reportedly had Trump telling Fox News host Brett Baer that if negotiations do move forward today and there is something concrete. The deadline could actually be pushed back again, although he also, apparently. said that APM is happening and added. If we get to that point, there is going to be an attack like they have not seen. And there, if he does follow through, besides all the legal and the ethical issues,

Starting point is 00:05:25 it reportedly might not even work. You've got a well-known political commentator in Iran to tell the New York Times that the Trump administration is operating under a false assumption that enough military pressure could force the Iranian regime to surrender, saying, based on my understanding of Iranian society and governance, I can state clearly that even several nuclear bombs would not achieve such an outcome.

Starting point is 00:05:42 And with that, notably, Trump's growing desperation in wild threats, it's increased fears that you might actually use a nuclear weapon. And while the White House is denied that it has any plans to use nuclear weapons, the rest of this, of course, is a very real possibility. As we've talked about, Hegg Set's been ripping away the guardrails for Mons firing top lawyers responsible for keeping operations in line with U.S. or international law and getting rid of a unit set up under Biden to mitigate civilian harm during conflict.

Starting point is 00:06:04 And now military members will potentially be in the position of having to choose between following orders and committing more crimes. Which, of course, I don't know if you remember, is the exact situation that several Democratic lawmakers warned about back in November, something that then led Trump to accuse them of seditious behavior punishable by death. That as far as Trump, he'd seemingly be unlikely to face any consequences. But the US isn't a member of the International Criminal Court and neither is Israel or Iran. And while methods exist to prosecute war crimes in the US, Trump would likely be protected

Starting point is 00:06:28 thanks to the Supreme Court's decision, granting absolute immunity to the president over his official conduct in office. That said, a growing number of Democrats are calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to remove Trump from office. And Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, he said that Trump's warning that a whole civilization will die tonight was comparable to genocide, and adding that Trump seems to have lost control and become as fanatical as the regime leaders in Tehran.

Starting point is 00:06:50 You also had top Dems calling for lawmakers to get back to Washington and ASAP to vote on a resolution to end the war, saying in a statement that Trump is completely unhinged and that a vote is necessary to stop the president before he plunges the country into World War III. And then also beyond just the Democrats, Trump's threats, they're stirring up backlash from even some of those once seen as his most loyal supporters.

Starting point is 00:07:08 And then there's more we're going to dive into in just a minute, but first let me thank his sponsor and say, you know, I think one of the strangest things about modern life is that most of us, we got to grow up as actual private citizens. But kids today, not so much. And that's why I partnered with today's sponsor ProtonMail and their new born private campaign. Because the kid can start building a digital footprint

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Starting point is 00:08:13 took off the kid gloves and launched a full frontal assault on Donald Trump. Right now, you'll remember that yesterday we saw Joe Rogan and Theo Vaughn going off on the Iran war as well as Alex Jones and Marjorie Taylor Green sounded off on that unhinged Easter post that Trump made. Or the one where he threatened to bomb bridges and power plans said, open the fucking straight, you crazy bastards, you'll be living in hell, and topped it off with praise be to Allah. And well, now you've got even more big names jumping in. You've got allegations of Satanism, the anti-crise, anti-Americanism, nuclear war, and really so much more, starting with Tucker Carlson. Because he accused Trump of desecrating Easter Sunday, and he argued that the red flags go all the

Starting point is 00:08:47 way back to the beginning. On inauguration day, the president did not take his oath of office with his hand on the Bible. That suggests not that you don't believe it's real, because if you didn't believe it was real, why would you care? You'd put on the costume and take it off. It doesn't matter. That suggests you know it is real, and you're rejecting it intentionally. You know what you're doing.

Starting point is 00:09:11 and you're doing it anyway. Then you had Tucker saying the final straw was when Trump invaded Venezuela, not so much because of what he did, but more so why he did it, which by Trump's own admission was to take their oil. Theft is wrong. It's wrong under the American legal code, but it's also wrong under the Christian legal code. Theft is wrong. Spelled out really clearly, it's also intuitive.

Starting point is 00:09:33 And here was the president saying, we're just stealing this because we can. With Tucker then going on to say that might is right attitude, what he called the law, the jungle, is the, opposite of the highest law there is, God's law. And so he argues that by that point, Christians should have stopped supporting Trump. Then tying it back to the Bible, he speculated that Trump didn't put his hand on it because he refuses to recognize any law or limit higher than himself, which according to Tucker is tantamount to Trump making himself God and he says that that is anti-Christian. Or would Tucker then reading the president's Easter post in horror.

Starting point is 00:10:01 There will be nothing like it. Open the effing straight. How dare you speak that way on Easter morning to the country? Who do you think you are? You're tweeting out the F-4? on Easter morning, you'll be living in hell, as if hell is a place. Hell is a condition. And this is an example of that condition. It is vile on every level. Blow up their bridges, bridges that people cross every day to go to school and work and to worship and, yes, church, because there are over a million Christians in Iran.

Starting point is 00:10:33 This is their Easter, too, and power plants. Iran is a modern country. What happens when it loses power? well, people die. Babies connected to incubators die. People in hospitals die. And then people begin to starve. And then you have refugee crises.

Starting point is 00:10:49 People leave the cities looking for food. And yes, they move into other countries. It's totally unacceptable. Not under the phony laws of some international body, but under moral law, God's law. Nobody thinks this is going to work. The thrill is in the killing. The power is in the killing.

Starting point is 00:11:05 The exertion of force is the point. And you were talking on to speculate that the infamous strike on a girl school early on in the war, it may have actually been intentional. But to that, you have Ben Shapiro dismissing that very idea is anti-American. You think Pete Heggseth and President Trump are sitting around drawing up a target list and they say, you know what, just for good measure, let's kill a bunch of Iranian school girls. Is that what you think? If you think that you despise America.

Starting point is 00:11:28 Again, you can oppose the war. You can oppose the way that the war is being fought. You can have problems with the general overall strategy. You can have honest questions about the war. That's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about people openly hoping that America loses because they do not like America. With Shapiro also accusing Tucker of hypocrisy for criticizing American military actions, but not those of other countries. Tucker Carlson has been super pro-Russia throughout the entire Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Starting point is 00:11:54 As Russia target civilians, he has been extraordinarily pro-Iran throughout this entire conflict after Iran murdered some tens of thousands of people in the streets. And then as far as the bridges and the power plants that Trump threatened, you had been thinking that it's just too early to judge. Yes, if we just blew up a bridge in the middle of an Iranian town, far from the fighting centers that has nothing to do with the material goal of the war, that would in fact be a violation of the laws of war, such as they are. However, if you blow up a power plant because the power plant is generating the power

Starting point is 00:12:23 on behalf of the IRGC, that is a different story. But Tucker's not convinced, in fact, he went as far as to argue that the logical outcome of the path that Trump's headed down is nuclear war. Not to mention religious war, which Tucker really took issue with, citing that apparently sarcastic, praise be to Allah in Trump's post. No decent person mocks other people's religions. You may have a problem with the theology, but to mock other people's faith is to mock the idea of faith itself.

Starting point is 00:12:49 This is a mockery, not just of Islam, it's a mockery of Christianity. And then extending that argument even further, he seemed to imply without stating it outright that Donald Trump is the Antichrist. But there's been only one sustained effort to exterminate a faith. and that's the Christian faith. Could that be part of it? Is it possible the president sees this in bigger terms? Sees this as the fulfillment of something

Starting point is 00:13:14 or the elevation to some higher office beyond president of the United States. That's entirely possible. And you then had Tucker spending the rest of his show talking about how Trump's spiritual advisor, Paula White, compared the president to Jesus Christ himself, which is then also something that Candace Owens also appeared a reference in her response

Starting point is 00:13:31 to Trump's Easter Post writing, This is a satanic administration. We all realize that satanic Zionists occupy the White House and Congress needs to move to have the Mad King Trump removed. All our lives may depend upon other countries realizing that Trump is deeply unwell and surrounded by religious fanatics

Starting point is 00:13:45 who have convinced him that he is a Messiah. We are an uncharted territory. Leaders worldwide need to act accordingly. Though there you would Ben Shapiro dismissing her as well. What in the world is she even talking about? What in the, what is she talking about? Probably she'll provide us evidence of this the same time that she provides evidence

Starting point is 00:14:01 that Egyptian planes were linked to the murder of Charlie. But you would Candace still going with her reposting someone who said, the time has come for the military to refuse to cooperate with orders like this. Catholics will have to take the lead, the Christian Zionists are incapable of rational behavior. And then you had her agreeing with Pierce Morgan's commentary that Trump's post was a brazen pre-admission to genocide against the Iranian people. Replying the 25th Amendment needs to be invoked.

Starting point is 00:14:21 He is a genocidal lunatic. Our Congress and military need to intervene. We are beyond madness. But then you also had one of Trump's die-hard, filthiest bootlickers and close advisors out there, Laura Lumer, weighing in and writing. Candice Owens is now accusing President Trump's administration of being satanic. Meanwhile, she's dancing on her so-called best friend's grave. Her best friend who didn't invite her to his wedding.

Starting point is 00:14:40 Or with that, seeming to refer her to Charlie Kirk, and then Candace's conspiracy theories about his assassination. And then you had Lumer, going after Tucker Carlson as well, writing, by riling people up with lies about how President Trump is the Antichrist, Tucker Carlson appears to be trying to incite someone to physically harm President Trump. How can anyone who claims to be loyal to the president continue making excuses for Tucker? I hate Tucker Carlson. With her also reiterating the same claim she's made for months now that Tucker is

Starting point is 00:15:02 actually a Muslim. But they're even polling her followers on whether they should call him Tucker Kutarlson or Tehran Tucker. And then with all this, you had a New York Post reporter who quoted Trump saying, Tucker's a low IQ person that has absolutely no idea what's going on. He calls me all the time. I don't respond to his calls. I don't deal with him. I like dealing with smart people, not fools. But then also, all the while, there's a person who's seemingly trying to mend the divide here, and that is Megan Kelly. Or with her explaining away Trump's post as a kind of a tactical genius. The president's messaging on Iran has been particularly erratic over the past week. And I don't know whether this is all strategy. You know, Trump likes to keep the enemy guessing.

Starting point is 00:15:38 So he often has erratic messaging that to us looks kind of crazy, but to him is just, you know, a tactic. Right. And then she expressed serious concern about the way that this war is tearing the MAGA coalition apart. And look, the president, I told him this directly that I don't support this war, but I do support him. And there, there's a difference. You know, you can, you can still support Trump and his agenda without, you don't have to go full TDS in order to say, I object to this war and I don't think this is a good idea. I've kind of given up on 2026 to be perfectly honest with you, but like, 2028 could still be salvaged and could definitely be hurt. But also, as you have Republicans panicking about the midterms, there's a Republican who's now dropped out that's

Starting point is 00:16:19 in a lot of hot water. And that's because another former staffer is accusing Texas representative Tony Gonzalez of sending sexually explicit messages, like hundreds of them. And of course, this comes weeks after he admitted to a 2024 affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. But now you have a local Texas outlet reporting that they obtained text messages between Gonzalez and his 2020 campaign political director, along with an interview with the staffer herself who asked to remain anonymous. And the messages appear to show Gonzalez asking for nude pictures and requesting sexual acts repeatedly, despite the staffer turning him down over and over. We're talking about messages asking about her underwear, requesting specific acts, things like

Starting point is 00:16:50 that can't be explained as a misunderstanding, and there are hundreds of them. And as far as the former staffer, she acknowledged that while Gonzalez's message made her uncomfortable and she often tried deflecting with humor or redirection, she sometimes responded to his explicit messages with some of her own. Where they're saying, I'm not totally innocent in all this. But they're also being clear that their relationship never became physical, saying she met with Gonzalez at her house twice for work purposes, but we didn't so much as touch. She also explained why she never said anything at the time, saying I got used to just having to blow off things guys say because every single time you say something, you end up the bitch, you end up the problem, you can't work with others. And as far as why she came

Starting point is 00:17:22 forward, she said she decided after learning about the other staffer. Saying he obviously pursued, pursued her like he did with me. I never took him serious. It wasn't until this poor girl died that I thought, no, this guy is pure evil. This behavior needs to stop. And while we haven't gotten a statement from Gonzalez on this latest revelation, he was already in a precarious position. But he already dropped his reelection bid after admitting to the 2024 affair under pressure from House Republicans, with them stopping short of asking for his resignation at the time. But the question now is whether that's going to hold. And there you had Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, saying that she reviewed even more explicit messages from Gonzalez that haven't been made public. But they're calling it

Starting point is 00:17:56 telltale predator behavior in saying, if I could expel him tomorrow, I would. But as far as where things are on that front, the House Ethics Committee is currently investigating in reports say that this is really only the tip of the iceberg regarding his behavior towards subordinates. But also the politics of this, it makes it complicated for Republicans. Because the Republicans, they hold a razor thinn house majority. I mean, it's little as one vote on party line issues depending on attendance. If they expel Gonzalez, that means losing a seat and making that margin even thinner. So actually, there have reportedly been informal talks about pairing a vote. We're voting to expel both Gonzalez and Democratic representatives, Sheila Cherfellus McCormick of Florida, who's been charged with stealing $5 million in FEMA money for her campaign. And the idea there is that a bipartisan double expulsion would be easier for both parties to swallow politically. There, I'll say nothing's confirmed, and we'll have to see whether the Ethics Committee's findings and the mounting public pressure force the issue before any pairing strategy materializes. But also, what we're talking about controversial leaders and lawmakers, we then got to talk about the people that are governing the state of Florida. Because Ron DeSantis just signed a law that essentially allows him to label any group, a terrorist organization, domestic or foreign, with no court involved. And as far as how it specifically works, you first have a top official at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement designating a group as a terrorist organization.

Starting point is 00:19:00 Then DeSantis and three members of the Florida cabinet, they approve or reject that designation. Once approved, that group can be forcibly dissolved. It can no longer receive funding through school districts or state agencies. And university students can actually be expelled if they promote a domestic terrorist organization or foreign terrorist organization. No judge, no court hearing, no adversarial process. A governor and three cabinet members decide who's a terrorist. This isn't happening in a bubble or some vacuum. A federal judge already blocked DeSantis.

Starting point is 00:19:24 This is December executive order that labeled the Council on American Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. The court found that it just didn't pass constitutional muster. So what DeSantis did was take that same idea and turn it into legislation. Right, and the framing, it makes it clear who this is aimed at. DeSantis has promised that the law will protect against Sharia law, saying, we don't want money flowing to these groups that are appendages of terrorist groups. And doubting will do millions for public safety, millions for education, but never one red cent for jihad. Right, and also the word promoted in the student expulsion provision, it's doing a lot of work.

Starting point is 00:19:54 What counts is promoting a designated organization, sharing an article, attending a protest, posting on social media, inviting a speaker to campus. The law doesn't define it. Which means that the chill on speech, it goes far beyond actual material support for terrorism. You've got Penn America saying that this law could chill free speech by placing unprecedented pressure on individuals to avoid speaking, organizing, or engaging with certain viewpoints. You've got legal scholars from the University of Chicago and Stanford saying that these types of designations lay the groundwork for even more sweeping forms of authoritarianism. Bring care. They call the law draconian and unconstitutional.

Starting point is 00:20:24 But then, of course, on the other side of this, there are supporters who are cheering. You also have the lieutenant governor explaining who gets designated saying people who don't stand for our values Right not people who commit violence just people who don't stand for our values and he gets to decide what those values are But all that said is far as what happens next even to Santis is expecting it he said that he anticipates civil rights groups are gonna challenge a law in court though there he promises a victory on appeal Though given that a federal judge already blocked his executive order doing essentially the same thing that confidence might be misplaced But the big thing is that in the meantime the laws in the books the the designation power it exists and the chilling effect on speech, association, and organizing in Florida, that's going to be immediate. And that's whether or not the law survives a court challenge. And then there's more we're going to dive into in just a minute, but first let me thank a sponsor

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Starting point is 00:22:06 But then, diving right back into the news, Texas wants to make Bible passages required reading in public schools. Not as an elective, not as an option, required, starting as early as elementary school with Nozark and Moses and going up through middle school and high school with David and Goliath and Jonah and the Whale. They're also pushing to narrow history classes around U.S. and Texas Center lessons, cutting room for world. history and other cultures. This is happening in a state where 66% of public school students are Hispanic or black. And with all this, you have experts warning that it could leave students less prepared for college, the workforce, and the world will actually be living in. But as far as the proposals, you have the Texas State Board of Education set to discuss two proposed reading lists. The first includes childhood standards like the very hungry caterpillar and a wrinkle in a wrinkle in time with older students reading like MLK's I have a dream speech. But it then also requires middle and high schoolers to read Bible passages, David and Glythe, Jonah and the whale. And then the second proposal actually goes further requiring Bible readings starting an elementary including Noah's Ark and Moses and the Exodus. You know, one of the key things is that the Bible is already an option for Texas English teachers. It's just that it's not required, but these proposals would change that. And then at the same time in history classes, the board's pushing for an emphasis on US and Texas history, which is a move that progressive groups and historians of criticizes promoting American exceptionalism through a Christian lens. And this is actually part of a broader national push from Republicans to center Christianity and American education under the manner of classical education, right? The same movement behind the CLT standardized tests that we just talked about. Now, supporters say that it's about focusing on Western thought, and the intellectual traditions that shaped American culture. Some states have even tried to hang the Ten Commandments and classrooms.

Starting point is 00:23:30 Others have moved to ban pride flags. And the Trump administration, they put more than $150 million into history and civics education to support this direction while pulling back from diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. And you've got folks like Mandy Drogan of the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation saying things like Islam and Buddhism didn't found the West. To not know the story of the Good Samaritan, for example, you're really going to miss on not just important lessons, but rich cultural and historical significance as an American. Well, she says that some world history is needed, Judeo-Christian values, they're central to America's story and culture. But then, you have, people noting that the numbers in Texas, they tell a very different story about who is actually in these classrooms. Right, because Hispanic and black students make up 66% of Texas public schools.

Starting point is 00:24:07 Actually, Hispanic students alone, they've been the majority for over a decade. And the lack of representation in these reading lists, it isn't a progressive talking point. It's just a mathematical reality about the students that this curriculum is supposed to serve. So we had board member Tiffany Clark putting it more directly saying, And if these are the same classical literature pieces which has ranked us 44th in the nation for third grade reading, we have failed students. And doubting, it is time to create a robust list which adequately meets and serves the diverse needs of our students in Texas. Texas is not one religion or one race, so the authors on this book list need to resemble the makeup of our students across the state. Now, the proposed list, they do include some black authors like Langston Hughes and Frederick Douglass, but Democratic board members say that the overall representation falls far short of what it should be.

Starting point is 00:24:45 And this also isn't just about representation as a principle. There's data behind. Studies actually show that access to diverse books and schools, increase reading scores, and increase how much students actually read. When students see themselves and what they're reading, they engage more. You know, you see things like at a 22 survey. It found that more than 75% of both Republicans and Democrats supported instruction on patriotism and the founding fathers alongside critical thinking and the contributions of women and people of color. Right, the public actually wants both, not one at the expense of the other. And all the while, America's literacy crisis, it just keeps getting worse and worse. Right, not to be a Philip DeFranco show video title, but it is actually getting worse. As of last year, 40% of fourth, graders and 33% of eighth graders right at a below basic level. Reading scores for high school seniors dropped to historic lows. Functional illiteracy, it doesn't just affect reading comprehension. It makes people less politically engaged, less capable of critical thinking about what they're learning and less prepared for a workforce that increasingly requires both.

Starting point is 00:25:33 Right, and then there's a practical question that nobody pushing these changes wants to answer. With less room for world history and other religions, you have historians asking, do we want the next generation of Texas students competing in a global economy, never having really learned very much about China? Teaching patriotism, it doesn't require leaving students ignorant of every country and culture outside of the United States. And you have experts warning that this approach, it leaves young adults with less experience, fewer opportunities, and less earning potential in a workforce that's increasingly global. And personally, you know, I'm just left wondering, you know, imagine a world where the Quran was being pushed

Starting point is 00:26:00 as required reading in a Texas public school or wherever. We'd be having a very different conversation. And again, this isn't about whether the Bible has cultural significance. It does. Teachers even have the option to teach from it. The question is, should this be required reading in a state where literacy scores are already declining, where the research says the diverse reading lists actually improve outcomes, and where the party that's pushing this change has spent years accusing the other side of indoctrinating children, right?

Starting point is 00:26:22 From the group that has been screaming, that classrooms are full of ideology, they're pushing ideology. And the students who are going to pay the price for it are the ones who can least afford to fall further behind. But then, next up, and some wild news, Connie West just got blocked from entering the United Kingdom. Or the government just denied his travel authorization on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good. And so an entire music festival, 50,000 people a day, it's been canceled. as a result. Because getting into specifics, Kanye was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in London in July, which is a major festival that draws tons of people. But the backlash

Starting point is 00:26:51 was immediate. You had major sponsors like Pepsi pulling out, Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, condemning the event, pressure mounting to drop Kanye from the lineup. And in response, you had Kanye putting out a last-minute statement offering to meet with Britain's Jewish community, insisting he only wants to bring peace and love and adding, I know words aren't enough, I'll have to show change through my actions. Well, the festival director encouraged forgiveness and second chances. This morning, you had the UK government shutting it down. With the home secretary telling BBC that the office denied Kanye's electronic travel authorization on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good. And then with that you had the festival releasing a statement saying wireless festival has been forced to cancel all ticket holders will receive an automatic full refund. Right. And then you had the festival saying, as with every wireless festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking yay and no concerns were highlighted at the time. Which to that you had many going, really? Less than a year ago Kanye released a song called hail Hitler. And others noting that before that he threatened to go death con three on Jewish people. He called himself a Nazi. He sold shirts with swastick as he went on countless anti-Semitic tirades across interviews, social media, and public appearances.

Starting point is 00:27:49 And so you had many looking at this going, well, how are no concerns highlighted? And then actually you had the campaign against anti-Semitism responding. Who were they consulting? A wall? That's what happens when the only stakeholders you speak to are those who stand to make a profit. And adding, it's nice that now Wireless is saying anti-Semitism in all its forms is abhorrent when just a few hours ago, the festival promoter was saying, we all need to forgive Kanye for declaring himself a full-blown Nazi only recently. Now there, on the note of apologies, you have people noting Kanye's apologized multiple times over the years. He has also walked some of those apologies back.

Starting point is 00:28:16 Right most recently, in January, he actually took out a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal saying that he lost touch with reality amid his struggles with bipolar disorder, saying I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state and I'm committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change.

Starting point is 00:28:29 It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an anti-Semite. I love Jewish people. Though for a lot of people, that wasn't enough, and that the cycle of offensive statements, followed by apologies, followed by more offensive statements, it's made it kind of impossible for a lot of people to take any single apology at face value.

Starting point is 00:28:42 But that's not to say that is the universal, reaction. Despite the UK blocking him, despite the festival getting canceled, none of it's actually slowing Kanye down. Just last week, Kanye performed two sold-out shows in SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and according to Bloomberg, he made $33 million from those two nights. One show alone pulled in $18 million in ticket sales, making it one of the highest grossing single shows in live music history. And there's also a lot of things where there were guest appearances from Lauren Hill and Travis Scott. There was a lot of love there, but there's also a lot of backlash and criticism. Again, there's a lot of money at play. He also recently signed a deal with a label Gamma. He just released a new album called

Starting point is 00:29:13 bully that debuted at number two on the billboard charts. He also reportedly has upcoming shows in France, India, Spain, and Turkey. So while there is genuine outrage and enough outrage to actually get a man banned from an entire country, there are also clearly enough people that are willing to buy tickets, stream the music, and show up that the comeback machine just keeps rolling. And so with all this, I would really love to know your thoughts. Are you loving it? Are you hating it? Are you not Sure. Do you see this as Kanye on some sort of redemption arc, or do you see it as just kind of more of the same cycle? Why, why not? I'd love to hear from you in those comments down below. But then, my friends, you beautiful bastards is the end of your Tuesday, Philip DeFranco Show dive into the news. Also, even if this just connects to one of you, I want you to know that this week is getting overlooking as getting even to me. With that said, a little housekeeping as we wind things down. Tomorrow, in addition to the Philip Franco show, you're going to get a brand new episode of crashing out with myself and Alex Perlman. Also, this week, we're going to take a look at the Georgia governor's race because it is getting overlooked, but it is crazy. And of course, remember, in the meantime, If you want to support independent media, support the show, you can go subscribe at Philip DeFranco.com.

Starting point is 00:30:07 There are free accounts, there are paid accounts. You can go ad free, you can get extras. Yeah, I'm gonna give you back your night. Thank you for watching. I love yo faces and I'll see you right back here tomorrow.

The Philip DeFranco Show - What Happens If Trump Strikes Iran Tonight

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