The Young Turks - Musk vs. Bessent - April 24, 2025

Episode Date: April 28, 2025

Killing of Gaza Aid Workers: IDF Troops Fired Indiscriminately for Over Three Minutes, Some at Point-blank Range. Cornell Cancels Kehlani Performance Over Her Stance on the War in Gaza. Supplement Steve Bannon Accuses Elon Musk of Putting His ‘Own Interest’ Ahead of the Nation. Hosts: Ana Kasparian SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE ☞  https://www.youtube.com/@TheYoungTurks FOLLOW US ON: FACEBOOK  ☞   https://www.facebook.com/theyoungturks TWITTER  ☞       https://twitter.com/TheYoungTurks INSTAGRAM  ☞  https://www.instagram.com/theyoungturks TIKTOK  ☞          https://www.tiktok.com/@theyoungturks 👕MERCH  ☞      https:/www.shoptyt.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to The Young Turks, the online news show. Make sure to follow and rate our show with not one, not two, not three, not four, but five stars. You're awesome. Thank you. Welcome to Tixti, I'm your host, Anna Kasparendi, I'm your host Anna Kasparian. And we've got a lot to get to today. Honestly, one of the topics I'm really looking forward to discussing with Wazni Lombray in the second hour is the aftermath of that epic non-debat debate debate between Dave Smith and Douglas Murray on Joe Rogan's podcast. There are so many different figures who have weighed in on it. And I've resisted the urge to cover it.

But I'm going to cover it today because Jordan Peterson went on Rogan's show and tried to subtly. convince him that maybe it's not a good idea to have people like Dave Smith on your program. Maybe he falls under the camp of the parasitic psychopaths and narcissists. By the way, no one calls people parasites more often than Jordan Peterson does. And it makes me a little bit uncomfortable, to be honest. But we're going to get to that later in the show. That's in the second hour. In the first hour, we're going to do some updates on the more devastating,

controversial, you know, military actions taken by the IDF in the Gaza Strip. There was that story of, you know, aid workers, 15 aid workers who were killed. We have some updates following an investigation into that particular case. So I'm going to tell you about that. I'm also going to tell you about the latest aerial bombardments in central Gaza and how many people have died as a result. Later in the show, we're also going to break down some other stuff that's going on that's honestly escaping my memory at the moment.

Oh, there, there you go. Elon Musk apparently had a shouting match with the Trump administration official will tell you who and what it was about. So stick around for that. But without further ado, just want to encourage you to like and share the stream if you're watching us live on YouTube. It's a free and easy way to help support the show and what we're trying to do in uniting this country and, you know, forging a path forward for prosperity for all. You could also become a member by going to t.com slash join. And if you are a member, you get all sorts. of perks, including access to our archives, so you can watch the show whenever you want. You also have, you know, your comments are more likely to be read during our social breaks, and you get exclusive members-only content, like the daily bonus episode after the main show. Okay, enough of that. Let's get to our first story. Traveling south on the road to Rafa, the unmistakable red and blue flashes of emergency vehicles, driving in convoy towards gardens in need. On route they see another ambulance that appears to have veered off the road.

Their vehicles and high-biz uniform clearly marked with the emblem of the Red Crescent. Little did they know that they themselves are about to become the victims. We're now learning more about the horrifying attack by the IDF against 15 aid workers in Gaza who were killed. Now, in the video that we just showed you, you could see that the aid workers were obviously aid workers. You can see the ambulance trucks with their bright flashing lights. But nonetheless, through an investigation that's been reported by Haretz, we have learned that the IDF was very much. behind this attack. And more importantly, they are, you know, lying about, you know, their involvement for one. But any claim that this was a mistake or an accident, I think has been

dispelled by this investigation. So let's get to the details. Before we get into what this investigation uncovered, which, by the way, includes gunshots at point blank range and a mass grave, here's an overview of what happened that night when 1580, workers were killed in Gaza. The video of apparent relentless Israeli fire continues for five minutes as the paramedic filming prays for mercy. For nearly two weeks, Israel has denied the apparent reality, claiming they opened fire on suspicious vehicles advancing towards them without headlights or emergency.

signals. The footage appears to directly contradict their version of events. It was discovered on a phone, buried with the paramedic, in a shallow mass grave, along with 14 of his colleagues and their vehicles. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said he'd been shot in the head. This devastating incident represents the single most deadly attack on Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere in the world since 2017. These dedicated ambulance workers were responding to wounded people, They were humanitarians. They wore emblems that should have been protected. Their ambulances were clearly marked and they should have returned to the families.

They did not. You know, I would really appreciate if public figures, so-called intellectuals like Douglas Murray, were actually forced to contend with details of stories like the one that we're talking about right now. Instead of diverting a debate into a ridiculous discussion about whether or not someone is able to come comment on stuff like this when they're not an expert or when they've never been there with an Israeli escort showing them the way, leading the way. We're going to get to Douglas Murray later on in the show. Okay, so let's hold off on that. But for now, a summary of the

IDF's probe into the incident was published last week and they lied, which shouldn't be surprising because they lie all the time. The IDF general staff investigation found found that in three separate incidents, the force mistakenly fired on ambulances and a UN vehicle frequently deviating from orders. The public summary of the investigation rejected claims that the workers were bound and executed and stated that the forces did not fire indiscriminately.

Now that last line, I want you to take it in, because that's the biggest lie, that the IDF did not fire indiscriminately. They did. So this expose was done by Israeli newspaper Heretz, as I mentioned earlier, and it revealed that it was much worse than what the IDF was admitting to. Here's what actually happened. On the night of March 23rd and into the 24th, the IDF was actually preparing for a surprise assault on the Tel Al Sultan district of Rafa. Okay, so that's on the southern end of the Rafa Strip, where they suspected Hamas militants were reorganizing, after the brief ceasefire.

So the Sarah Rett-Golani unit of the IDF was tasked with carrying out this ambush. And around 2 a.m., two in the morning, they set up along the route, expected to be used by Palestinians evacuating toward Con Unis and Al-Mawasi. So the route where the Israeli force positioned itself that night

was one where travel was permitted, for rescue personnel and civilians at the time. Therefore, the aid and medical workers using it were not required to request special permission, contrary to the IDF's initial statement following the incident, following the slaughter. Let's be clear. That statement was later found to be based on incorrect information provided by the forces in the field. So then at around 3.30 a.m., another IDF unit reported over the radio that there was increased ambulance movement on the route. Increased ambulance. Okay, so they're even identifying. These are aid workers. Okay, these are ambulance trucks or vans.

In other words, the soldiers knew to expect ambulances driving past them on this route that they were using to do this ambush, right? So at 357 a.m., an ambulance with flashing lights passed through the area on a routine trip. The occupants could not see the hidden troops. Positioned on higher ground, the troops were not under threat of a ramming attack and had been ordered not to reveal themselves before the main offensive until Al Salton. Nonetheless, the deputy commander instructed the entire force to prepare to fire on the ambulance. That was the order.

And as the ambulance was about to pass by, the soldiers did just that. They start firing at the ambulance. They charged toward the vehicle while shooting, killing two aid workers, and detaining another person. So the soldiers turned off the ambulance and its lights, concealed the bodies,

and returned to their original position. But it's not over yet. There's more. It gets worse. At 5.06 a.m., a convoy of rescue workers, including ambulances and fire trucks, traveled along the route. All the vehicles had their lights on and flashing. And as you can see in the recovered video, it was dark out. Now, usually when it's dark, it's difficult to see. But you know what it's not hard to see when it's dark?

An ambulance truck with flashing lights. You can see it clearly. You can identify it. We all know what that looks like. The IDF knows what that looks like. You're seeing it with your own two eyes right now as we speak, if you're watching the video version of the show. So the convoy stopped near the attacked vehicle and medical teams disembarked to move towards the bodies. The medical personnel wore fluorescent vests and kept their identification lights on along with the sirens to make their presence clear, fearing they might be targeted by the IDF.

So let's just pause for a second. I understand their reasoning. Let's make it abundantly clear we're aid workers, so the IDF doesn't mistake us for Hamas militants, and we won't, you know, be a target. Except how many stories have we shared with you all on this show, as reported by Israeli sources, by the way, Heretz is an Israeli source,

in which ambulance workers, humanitarian aid workers, were intentionally targeted by the IDF. How many times have we shared stories? like that. So think about how insanely brave one must have to be in order to work as an aid worker, as someone who's willing to deliver humanitarian aid. Think about the balls it takes to do that in the Gaza Strip, knowing full well. The IDF can just attack you, kill you, bury you in a shallow grave. And then if anyone asks any questions about it, they can just deny it. And then after there's an investigation, they'll be like, oh yeah, oops. Maybe one person will be let go from

the military, from the IDF. But that's it. And then the vicious cycle happens all over again, and again and again and again. And when we're talking about the Palestinian people in the Gaza strip. They're trapped. This is an asymmetrical war being waged on a group of people in a tiny strip of land in which they have no escape route. They have nowhere to go. They have no real military protecting them. I mean, just think about that. Israel right now is being supported by the top military superpower in the world, the United States. With heavy weaponry, with 2,000 pound bombs. Do you think Hamas has 2,000 pound bombs?

It's disgusting. It's absolutely disgusting. This is not about rooting out Hamas. As the convoy stopped, the deputy battalion commander ordered the force to open fire on the vehicles. So remember, there's the first attack. Then an ambulance shows up and tries to provide aid to, you know, the bodies that they see. And then those workers, those responders end up getting attacked as well. Heretz reports that the distance between the convoy and the soldiers was just between 20 and 30 meters. So it's not like they were off at a distance and it was difficult to decipher, you know, are these enemies or are these, you know, ambulance workers or humanitarian aid workers?

No, it was very clear. So the soldiers reached the aid team within seconds and fired continuously for approximately three and a half minutes. And it gets even worse if you can believe it. The soldiers reloaded their magazines and kept shooting even after it was clear that no return fire was coming from the other side. And despite the cries of the aid workers who tried to identify themselves, thinking that maybe identifying ourselves would, you know, to some mercy from the IDF, but the IDF knew who they were. So some of the aid workers attempted to flee, but by the end of the three and a half minutes, 12 of them had been killed. And incredibly, the soldiers still weren't done killing people.

About 12 minutes after the previous assault ended, a UN vehicle with an unrow worker arrived, the vehicle approached with its lights on, seemingly attempting to signal its presence to the IDF force at the scene. The UN worker did not leave the vehicle or approach the soldiers, but the deputy battalion commander decided to fire at the vehicle, joined by one of the soldiers, they killed the UN worker. I mean, when you hear the far right government of Israel or members within that government literally refer to humanitarian aid workers with the UN as terrorists, as members of Hamas, You think they're making those statements by accident? Or could it be that they do that intentionally to dehumanize humanitarian aid workers,

to dehumanize anyone associated with the United Nations? Because the Israeli government despises the UN. Let's be clear about that. Why do they despise the UN? Because sometimes, you know, sometimes the UN will have member countries speak out against the way Israel is prosecuting this war in Gaza. And we know how Israel reacts to anyone who's critical. of their actions in Gaza. We've seen it happen here in the United States.

The UN knows what kind of treatment they'll get as well. The UN knows the way their humanitarian aid workers will be treated if they're trying to provide relief to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. So the brigade commander instructed the unit to hide all the dead bodies in the ground and to bury and crush the ambulances. The following morning they gave international organizations the location of where the bodies had been hidden so they could retrieve them. Of course, the IDF unit responsible for the killings claim that they thought they were in danger, right, despite the fact that the ambulance workers likely hadn't even seen them,

considering their positioning. Remember, they were positioned to do an ambush. So the ambulance workers had no idea they were there. The IDF's investigation determined after the fact that six of the 15 killed workers were Hamas members, but whatever evidence they have for that is unclear. And I'm going to go ahead and make a bold prediction and say they don't have any. Now following the incident, the deputy battalion commander who led the attack was dismissed from the IDF for professional failures, he should be in prison for the rest of his life. Okay, he is responsible for the slaughter of innocent people. He should be in prison for the rest of his life. He robbed innocent people of their lives.

And I know that this happens every day in Gaza to the point where a lot of people are just desensitized to it at this point. But at what point are we going to get any justice for the innocent lives that have been slaughtered by members of the IDF? This wasn't just simply a professional failure. This was an intentional slaughter. While the Israeli military stated that it regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians, it argued its soldiers were conducting a vital mission targeting Hamas terrorists and reiterated the claim that Hamas uses medical and humanitarian infrastructure for terrorism, including using ambulances to transport terrorists and weapons. That's complete another BS, and we all know it. We all know it. They didn't kill any Hamas members.

I mean, just think about it in our own context, seriously. If a local police force decided to, for three and a half minutes, indiscriminately shoot at an ambulance truck, and then the first responders who come to save individuals from that ambulance truck, if those cops told us, well, we suspected, you know, those ambulance trucks were full of MS-13 gang members. I mean, we didn't ask any questions. We just started shooting.

And then we reloaded and kept shooting. And then more people came and we killed them too. Would we buy that argument? Would we buy that argument? Okay, for the right wingers out there, if the cops had done that to a car carrying a family of sovereign citizens, okay, they might believe in that ideology, but there's no evidence that they've done anything wrong. They're not harming anybody, but the cops just decide to open fire, shoot at them anyway,

and kill them. Would we be okay? Would you accept the argument that, well, you know, the police suspected that these sovereign citizens might have caused some harm in the future? You wouldn't buy that argument because that's unjust. That type of injustice is not accepted in any other context, except when Israel carries it out for whatever reason. And it's because for decades, our media has conditioned Americans to be good little boys and girls who accept the depravity of the Israeli government. But let's keep it real. Killing aid workers like this brazenly and really not suffering any real consequences for it is pretty disgusting.

But we'll keep funneling our precious resources, tax dollars, and weapons to the Israeli government to the IDF so they can continue the slaughter. So they finally grab hold of the Gaza Strip, take control of that land, and get what they've always wanted to begin with. The Hamas attack was the perfect excuse, okay, for Israel to finally do what it's always wanted to do. By the way, just a day later, or a day after this report was published, Israel is also admitting that the Israeli tank fire was responsible for a deadly strike on a United Nations guest house in the Gaza Strip. This happened last month. That attack ended up killing a Bulgarian aid worker and badly injured five international staffers. I'm sure that was an accident.

Yeah, until now, by the way, the IDF repeatedly denied involvement in the attack. But smart people, meaning anyone with two brain cells to rub together, knew what the reality was. Before we go to break, I just want to go to one other story related to this, because over the last few days, the attacks in Gaza, they've really ratchet things up. And so I want to give you the details on that. These Palestinians do what they can to put out a blaze following a deadly Israeli strike on this school sheltering displaced families. Those who witnessed the attack were left shaken. Dozens of Palestinians across the enclave were killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday, according to medics on the ground. As basic supplies grow ever scarcer in Gaza, the foreign

ministers of Germany, France, and Britain have urged Israel to allow the unhampered passage of aid into the enclave. Just want to take a moment to remind everybody that the United States government supports the type of slaughter that's currently being carried out in the Gaza Strip supports the type of imagery you just watched in the video we shared with you. But if you happen to be a student protester who is not okay with the slaughter of innocent people, who's not okay with the bombing of refugee camps, of hospitals, of children's hospitals, of schools, universities, you're the bad guy. You're the one who deserves to have your green card revoked and you deserve to be deported. But the Israeli defense forces slaughtering innocent people, tens of thousands

of children, that's totally fine. That's okay. Anyone who criticizes it, that's not okay. So Israeli strikes across central Gaza city have killed at least, at least 55 people, including children, of course. Now, the airstrikes targeted a school sheltering, displaced Palestinian families. There was also another attack on a children's hospital. Do you guys remember in the beginning months of this war in Gaza when a hospital had been attacked? like Israel was losing it because there were allegations and also a lot of print journalism indicating that the hospital had been bombed by the IDF and the Israeli government was like

apoplectic over it because how dare you it was it was Hamas how dare you since then they've bombed every single hospital in the Gaza Strip it's like more than 51,305 people in Gaza have been killed since the beginning of this war in October of 2023. And by the way, I mean, I've said this before. I'm going to say it again. That number is an underestimate because we don't have a third party on the ground counting the number of bodies, counting the bodies under the rubble. Look, you can be a supporter of the Israeli project. You can be a full-blown Zion. You can be a full-blown Can you, but I just feel like you have to be on another level, like a level where you have

no humanity left, where you see that type of devastation and you think to yourself, that's totally okay. That's totally okay. It's real. And look, this is the other thing. As more and more people die in Gaza, as more and more Palestinians get driven out of their legal homes on their legal land in the West Bank, as this continues, and as this has been going on for decades, what you hear over and over again from defenders of Israel is, okay, but what about what happened when Hamas committed all those atrocities? What about all the innocent lives lost there? I need you guys to understand. Anyone who engages in that what aboutism,

anytime someone wants to draw attention to what's happening to the Palestinian people, you're coming across as an individual who values one group, the lives within that one group, way more than the other group. And maybe they're okay with that. Maybe they're totally fine.

Maybe they think, you know what, we have so fully dehumanized Palestinian people that we literally don't care that tens of thousands of, of children, women, elderly people, innocent people who have been trapped in that strip of land. We don't care if they've been slaughtered. We don't give a damn. It's us versus them.

We don't care about their lives. We don't care about their suffering. We don't care about their pain. And I want to be very clear because I want everyone to know who I am and what I actually think. I'm not really interested in getting into pissing matches on this show because I think. because I think I have a lot, this time is better used focusing on what matters. But if anyone has any question about what my thoughts are toward people who are still defending

what the Israeli government is doing to the Palestinian people in Gaza, I think they're bad people. And I mean that. I think they're depraved. I think they lack morality. I think they've lost their humanity and their ability to see the humanity in others. And honestly, I think they're evil. I think if you see what's happening on the ground in Gaza right now, you see those images, you see those bodies and you think it's totally fine. This is what Israel needs to do. You're a bad person. I think about those two little girls in Gaza after their entire family had been killed. Their two sisters, the smallest sister, is being carried by her bigger her sister, her older sister, and they're just trying to find a tent, just somewhere to shelter.

And she's carrying her little sister because her little sister got injured from a car running over her foot. And I think about those girls all the time. What happened to them? I mean, they were so young, elementary school age kids. I put myself in their shoes when I was that young and how scared I would be. I just, uh, The reason why we talk about this is because we as Americans are funding it. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. And it doesn't matter which party is in charge. Whatever Israel wants they get, doesn't matter how many kids died,

doesn't matter how many innocent people get killed. Today is April 24th. It's the day that Armenians commemorate the Armenian genocide. So if anyone has any problem with anything I had to say in this last segment, either because I talk about Gaza too much, or because I call those who are okay with what Israel is currently doing evil, yeah, you can go F off. Seriously, go watch another show, go tell yourself cute little stories about how this is okay. It's not okay.

It's disgusting. And I feel shame about it every single day. We got to take a break. We'll be right back. What's up, everyone. Welcome back to the show. I'm going to read some super chats before we get to our next story. David writes in and says, crazy how, as Israel continues, is

This genocide, its government, has removed all condolences posts for the Pope because he was critical of the war. That doesn't surprise me. I mean, they will reign terror on anyone who's critical of that war, including their own people. As we shared with you earlier this week, Benjamin Netanyahu wants to target Israeli protesters. The stinky stalking full of lies says, I'm rooting for Rebellion Pack and David Hogg. We need new leadership. Well, we're actually going to cover how the Democratic establishment is responding to David Hogg later in the show.

I mean, I wish I could say I was surprised, but just hold. I'll share the details soon. And In Guns We Trust says, wonderful reporting Anna, so proud of you. And thank you for your work. You're an inspiration to me and so many. God bless you and keep up the amazing work. You know, my mom's doctor is Palestinian. And I don't know, I just, Palestinians, they've helped my family in so many different ways.

And it's just, I hate how powerless I feel. And I'm sure a lot of Americans feel, especially when it comes to this one issue. It's like you have no party to turn to that is aligned with what we want here, which is to see the humanity in everyone. I don't want to rain terror on Israelis. Okay, I don't want anything bad to happen to Israelis. But the anger that I felt after October 7th when innocent people were slaughtered is the anger I feel every single day as that same behavior, those same atrocities are being committed by the IDF against the Palestinian people. That, those are my morals. Those are my morals. I don't believe in dehumanizing anyone. But here we are. Entire group of people, the Palestinian people,

dehumanized by the Israeli government for sure, but obviously with the help of the United States. All right. So let's fast forward to what's happening here in the U.S. No search weren't was divided. Authorities raided the homes of pro-Palestinian activists across the state of Michigan. And that video that we just shared with you, and we just watched, was just one example. It was shared with DropSight News by the students allied for freedom and equality. And for all of those American citizens who were, you know, happy to sit by and watch green card holders, get their green cards revoked because they had the audacity to write an op-ed that was critical of Israel.

For all those people who thought, nothing's going to happen to American citizens, it's just those visa holders, those PhD students who had green cards, who cares about them? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Their free speech rights were violated, but the government's not going to violate our free speech rights. We're American citizens, right? This happened to American citizens. Yeah. Yeah. So let's give you some details. The FBI, along with local and state law enforcement, were involved in the raids. The Attorney General's office clarified immigration officers were not involved, and all were American citizens. These are American citizens who are student protesters. That's who was targeted here. So the AG's office in Michigan stated that these raids did not pertain to all. on-campus protest activity.

No, no, no, that's not what this was about. It was rather a multi-jurisdictional investigation into vandalism. Vandalism. I live in Los Angeles. Vandalism happens in broad daylight all day, every day. You will literally see a guy taking spray can out of his baggy jeans and spray paint the wall with his like nonsense.

his home ain't getting raided, okay? So I don't believe that this is about vandalism because the way these raids were carried out were suspicious. No evidence was presented. And by the way, no one ended up getting arrested for any reason. Seems like these students were being sent a message, if you will. But nonetheless, Dropsite News also reported on this. They say Ann Arbor Police told Dropsite News contributor.

They participated in the April 23rd raids as part of a multi-jurisdictional investigation led by the Michigan Attorney General's Office, adding the probe concerns, reported crimes committed in the city of Ann Arbor as well as other jurisdictions. The department clarified this investigation is not related to immigration enforcement. We're just terrorizing American citizens who are critical of the Israeli government. And we're accusing them of vandalism, although we're not being specific with those allegations. And the warrants for these raids are very vague, very vague. So the AG, Dana Nessel, has not provided any specific details about the alleged vandalism that they think justifies these types of raids. The Ann Arbor Police Department added that the investigation concerns reported crimes committed in the city of Ann Arbor as well as other jurisdictions. Super vague, super vague.

I'm sorry, let's just pause. In order to justify the authorities breaking your freaking door down in order to do a raid, I think the explanation needs to be a little more specific. We're talking about American citizens here. So Liz Jacob, who's the lawyer representing the students who were targeted, says the following. We've done a lot of work with these students. To our knowledge, there is no vandalism. We have no idea what this is about. What I've seen reported in other places is some kind of claim of multi-jurisdictional vandalism, which seems like a pretty flimsy pretext to send FBI agents, state police, and local police,

to the homes of young people. Where's Wretchen Whitmer? Where's the Gretsch, you know, the heroic Democrat who might have a future as the next president of the United States? Where are you at, girl? You're okay with this? You're okay with the feds, terrorizing students in your state, on flimsy allegations with no evidence being presented, no arrests have been made? The Democrats are pathetic, man. Look, I've got no love for the Republican Party. But on this issue, both parties are. garbage, absolute garbage. A real leader would stick up for Americans in this case. That's what a real leader does. They don't cave, they don't hide in their office, hoping that they don't, you know, cause a stir that might hurt them in their presidential run in the future. They lead. They're strong. They fight for what's right. But I'm not seeing any of that from any

Democrats with a few exceptions, to be honest. So the way these raids were carried out was super suspicious. There was no reason noted in the search warrants for the underlying probable cause that the warrants were based on. They weren't charged with any criminal charges that they were being investigated for. That was a statement from the lawyer. In addition to that, Tarrier Coalition told drop site news that officers refused to present warrants at one of the sites that they raided. They, meaning law enforcement, were looking for red and black paint. They were looking for electronic devices, and they were looking for any kind of communication materials that any kind of individuals had.

The lawyer also says that several people were detained briefly, but no arrests were made. So that's what's currently happening to American citizens. Just suspicious, weird warrants, vague warrants, flimsy allegations of vandalism. Again, for the FBI to join state authorities, local authorities to break down your door, there better be a serious crime committed. But like, even if it were true that these students engaged in vandalism, a raid like that, really? Vandalism justifies a raid like that. And I'm not buying that it was vandalism. I need to see some evidence. There could have been, But if there was, wouldn't some of these students actually be arrested for said vandalism?

I think this was meant to send a message. So she also says that several people were detained, not arrested, and that's, look, that's happening to American citizens. But I want you to remember that this has been going on, maybe not in regard to American citizens, but it's certainly something that student visa holders have been dealing with, green card holders. have been dealing with. We can't forget about Rumiesa Osschirk, who was a doctoral student at Tufts University, and she was arrested in broad daylight for what reason? She co-wrote an op-ed for the student newspaper that was critical of how Israel is carrying out this war in Gaza. And a lot of people made justifications for that. Well, I mean, if we're going to set this tone,

better be real careful. Honestly, it's just, it's incredible to me that people are okay with this. Now, let's see what Trump loyalist Charlie Kirk has to say about what happened to Oostchirk. He's getting some props for this. Let's see if he deserves it. Deporting somebody because they wrote an op-ed critical of Israel, I think that's probably in the gray area.

So would you say that there's some things that the administration is done on immigration where you think they haven't been sufficiently respectful of First Amendment rights? Is that fair to say? No, I wouldn't even say that. I would say that we run a little bit of a problem if we are going to say that the criteria to get your visa revoked is writing an op-ed. Now that might be an exaggeration by somebody. Yeah. Right? And but if and the op-ed was not even critical of America, which it was critical of a foreign country. So why is this a gray area, Charlie?

Why is this a gray area? It's not a gray area. So we're not allowed to be critical of a foreign country. We're not allowed to write an op-ed criticizing the way Israel is carrying out that war in Gaza. That's a gray area. That's not a gray area. Say it with your whole chest. I know you're afraid that the Trump loyalists are going to come for you, the way leftists have come for me when I, you know, attack one of the sacred cows. But grow a set of balls, okay, don't give this mealy mouth, like, response to what's actually happening here. It's not a gray area. It is a violation of American values, of what

this country allegedly represents. Say it. It's not a gray area. Ozturk, okay, could have PhD student, okay, Turkish national who was here in America, getting a PhD from Tufts University. She could have written an op-ed highly critical of the United States, and no one was going to come for her. No one. But she co-wrote an op-ed that's critical of a foreign country, and she got arrested in broad daylight. How is that a gray area? It's not.

I suspect that Charlie Kirk does have a problem. I suspect that he doesn't see this as a gray area. But if you're going to say something, say it. You know the difference between right and wrong. And if you purport to believe in what this country is supposed to represent, then you need to fight for it. The mealy mouth, oh, it's a gray area. It doesn't work.

Doesn't work. I know it's uncomfortable to know that the president you love so much has been made to be a little bitch for a foreign country. But at the end of the day, facts matter. And he's a little bitch for a foreign country. We'll be right back. All right, I'm going to read a comment from History Speaks, who I have a lot of respect for, but I disagree and I need to clarify this because it's infuriating. Look, I'm not a fan of Brianna Wu because of the fact that she is vocal and incredibly supportive of Israel's genocide on the Palestinian people. Okay, you guys wanted it, I said it, I didn't want to get mired in the muck of this.

But I don't support her. I want nothing to do with her. Because again, like the stuff that I've heard her say is just so beyond the pale and disgusting. That's how I feel. Now, Brianna Wu is not my colleague. I do not work with her. I work for TYT. TYT is separate from any political project that Jank might want to do.

Jank might promote his political projects on TYT, but I have nothing to do with those projects. I have no say in those projects. And I want to preference the comment I'm about to read from history speaks by saying what I just said. So he says cancel culture amounted to ruining careers of people who disagreed with dumb, woke cultural dogmas. I would know a thing or two about that. Brianna Wu is different, supports genocide in Gaza, and TYT is putting Wu in a technical, apolitical role, is not putting her in a technical apolitical role, but a political leadership position unacceptable. TYT is not doing anything like that.

She does not work for TYT. I don't even know what position she has and anything she's doing for, you know, Jank's projects. But nonetheless, I'm just begging you guys, I'm begging you guys. I can't control Jank and what he wants to do and who he wants to hire. So please just, you want to hate on me for whatever reason, okay, hate on me for my opinions, hate on me because of my takes, whatever, for things that I'm actually, responsible for. But this show, this company has nothing to do with rebellion pack. That is

separate. So no one on this show right now is putting Briano Wu in a political leadership position. And yeah, I'm going to say it right now. I would prefer that she were not at all part of that whole situation. But I have no say about it. And it is what it is. I wish This wasn't a situation I'd have to deal with at all, but here we are. Now, with that said, what Jank is trying to do with Rebellion Pack is important. It really is. And I hate that he launched it by kneecapping himself, but here we are. So when we got a comment yesterday for one of our viewers who was excited about what Jank is doing,

but they felt that I was being dismissive about it and they couldn't understand why. No, no, no, it wasn't that I was being dismissive about it. was that I knew what was coming and I'm just so sick of dealing with it because I have nothing to do with it, but I get all the blowback. So that's the reality of the situation. Okay, it's unfair, but it is what it is. And I've got so many other massive problems in my life. Adding this to the pile is frustrating. History speaks also says, Anna, given the date, I thought you might find it interesting that a new generation Turkish historians are increasingly recognizing the reality of the Armenian genocide and contributing to historical research on it. Listen, despite what the Turkish government did

to the Armenian people over a century ago, I'm able to differentiate Turkish people from those who committed the atrocities. And so there are wonderful Turkish people out there. I consider them my brothers and sisters. And yes, a lot of them do acknowledge the Armenian genocide. And I'm happy that, you know, the tide has kind of begun to turn on, you know, the historical revisionism that Armenians have had to stomach for so long. The genocide happened. And the acknowledgement really does matter. All right. Let's get to one more story before we bring Wazin. One other person I want to ask you about is Scott Bessent, who you, you know, who I first, as a as a sometime war, Steve Bannon's war room listener, that's where I first discovered Besson.

I wonder, he reportedly just today reportedly had a huge, maybe physical blowout with Elon Musk in the West Wing. What should people know about him? First off, he's a safe pair of hands. If Howard Lutnik had been Secretary of the Treasury, it'd been an unmitigated disaster, okay? Unmitigated disaster. And this is about people putting their own interests first, like Elon, versus putting the nation's interests first. Elon Musk is leaving the Trump White House, and it looks like his inability to get along with folks within the administration is maybe one of the factors behind his decision to move on and focus on Tesla.

So in fact, Axios is reporting that Elon Musk and the Treasury secretary, Scott Besson, got into a pretty fiery shouting match. Now, what was this all about? Well, the bad blood allegedly kicked off during Trump's transition to the White House. Now, during this time, you know, he's tapping various individuals to serve in his cabinet. And Musk was lobbying pretty hard for Howard Lutnik to be Treasury Secretary. But Trump ultimately went with Bessent or Bessent and tapped Lutnik to be the Commerce Secretary. Then the clashes over staffing really started to heat up.

So according to an ally to Scott Besant, Scott can't stand Musk. That goes pretty deep and pretty far back, but he's acting like a grown-up about it. And look, he does seem pretty even keeled most times. Like I haven't really seen him fired up or irrationally angry or anything like that. He doesn't really engage publicly the way that Elon Musk does, but everyone has their tipping point. So last week, Trump appointed longtime IRS agent Gary Shapley as the interim head of the IRS. Now, he made that decision after Melanie Cross decided to resign from the IRS. This followed, you know, the gutting of the IRS under the Trump administration. However, Shapley or Shapley was,

appointed because Elon Musk specifically wanted him in that role. But here's the problem. The person who's supposed to make that decision, ultimately of course it's Donald Trump, but the recommendations are supposed to come from the Treasury Secretary, not from Elon Musk. And so Musk's Department of Government Efficiency pushed this appointment through the White House channels. And Scott Besant was not happy about it. He was furious. So, So Bassett had complained to Trump this week that Musk had done an end run around him to get shapely installed as the interim head of the IRS, even though the tax collection agency reports to Besant, the people familiar with the situation said. So after getting Trump's

approval, Besant was able to reverse the decision to hire Shapley. So in the end, Musk didn't end up getting what he wanted because of the fact that the Treasury Secretary made it's such a big deal about this, he wanted his deputy guy named Michael Falkender to be the acting leader of the IRS. But then things devolved even further, if you can believe it. So during a meeting last Thursday, the sent confronted Musk head on, and apparently the F bombs started to drop. So the scent criticized Musk for over-promising and under-delivering budget cuts with Doge. Musk clapped back. Are we ever going to retire that? Is the clapped back thing just here to stay?

I mean, I feel like there's always trends, but they're around for a year, maybe half a year. Clap back is just like herpes. It's here to stay. It's never going to go away. You'll never be cured of it. Clap back by calling Besant a Soros agent and accusing him and accusing him of having run a failed hedge fund. Two sources who overheard the argument recalled that at one point, Besant yelled FU, And Musk replied, say it louder.

And I mean, look, it just really did devolve to pretty embarrassing levels. It was two billionaire middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the half, in the hall of the West Wing. And according to other witnesses, both of which spoke to Axios, they were not physical in the oval, but the president saw it. And then they carried it down the hall, and that's when they did it again. A second witness told Axios, it was quite a scene, it was loud, and I mean loud. So these two hate each other, clearly. Not only did this happen with an earshot of the president, but the Italian prime minister was also there. So we have another world leader who was able to absorb what was going on with Elon Musk and the Treasury secretary engaging in the shouting match.

Now, Caroline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, downplayed the entire situation, which, look, to be fair, that's her job. Her job is to lie to everybody on behalf of the Trump administration to make the Trump administration look good. And it happens with, you know, the press secretary representing a Democratic administration. They lie. They lie. That's what they do. Boys will be boys. And I get it. That turned into like a whole news cycle. But of course she's going to say that. I love how people like... Listen to everything Caroline Levin is saying, thinking she might tell the truth. No, it's not her job to tell the truth. It's literally not her job to tell the truth.

But anyway, she says disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process. And ultimately, everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump. So that wasn't even really saying anything. So in the three months, Elon has been in the government. He's gotten into tips with Marco Rubio, Sean Duffy, Peter Navarro, stating that they were all incompetent, they're all liars, all hail, the grand Elon Musk, the all-knowing, the wonderful, the best, you know, he's the most competent. Okay. And overall, he's kind of become a headache for pretty much every White House aide,

political appointee, and federal employee. For instance, one person says, this is a Trump appointee who spoke to the Washington Post. I like what Doge stands for. I don't like how they've done it, said one Trump appointee who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe candid frustrations with Musk's operation. The official compared Doge to overly aggressive chemotherapy, invoking a line attributed to Musk about one of his deputies, praising the team for combating the federal bureaucracy, but saying the unintended consequences have been deeply harmful. They got rid of the cancer and a lot of the healthy cells too. I disagree. I think the cancer is still very much part of what we see in Washington. Let's take a break. When we come

back, Wazni Lombrae joins me for the second hour of the show. Don't miss it. I'm going to be B. B. B. B. Thank you.