DSR Daily April 16: RFK Jr. Just Gets Weirder and Weirder

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Hello and welcome to the DSR Daily. I'm David Rothkuff. I'm joined by Riley Fessler. I'm in a Stein. As usual, we're going to sort of sort through the news of the day.

See if we can make some sense of it. And if not, at least, I don't know. Help find ways to make it through the day when everything's so... You'll fuck up. Oh, I've said a bad word.

I'm so sorry. All right. I will tell. Don't tell. Please, Riley is offended.

Because he went, you know, he grew up in Ohio. And there were like probably the 10 commandments in every classroom. Who not? Not at that time. Now there probably is.

Yeah. Well, you know what? I was a kid.

“You know, back when there were like horses and bunnies.”

Um, every, you know, the big guy in town was a blacksmith who would make horses. Um, when we were in school, every day started with the pledge of allegiance and the Lord's prayer in public school.

And I was always like, wait a minute.

There's something... I'm not... Am I supposed to be saying this? But then we, you know, we were saying that stuff. In every...

I thought you were going to say they wrote the 10 commandments when you were in school. And now we just display them. Okay. All right. All right.

Enough of making fun of the olds. Go on. Go on. You know, people don't like the fact that you guys are too young. We get, we get letters.

They want, yeah, they want us to be older. So, sorry. Well, be patient. Very serious. Be patient.

It'll happen to them soon enough.

“Riley's going to wake up every day going, what's that pain?”

And my knee. I've already got that. See? See? It's that.

All right. Something's happened in the world. And it's not RFK juniors reckoon Venus. Well, we'll get that. We'll get that.

That's the 10 resist that one. It's a big payoff for today. What, you know, do what we're talking about folks? Patience. Patience.

Go on.

Let's get to the serious stuff first.

Probably, I don't know, war someplace. Yep. And our Secretary of War, Pete Hugseth, with some words. There is no Secretary stop. That's not what is not what it's called.

David. No. That's what he calls himself. The department is called the Department of Defense. Only the Congress can change the name.

They haven't changed the name. So he is not that. He's the Secretary of... Doosh Bags. He's the Secretary of... You know, Frat bullies. He's the Secretary of...

You know, beer goggles. But he is not the Secretary of War. Come on. Well, Pete had a nice little warning saying that troops are ready to immediately resume combat operations. Should peace talks fall through.

And he warned that failing to comply with the U.S. A blockade will lead to direct military strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Apparently that hasn't actually happened. Apparently ships have gone through this without getting confronted. Apparently the blockade's not super affected.

Yeah. I mean, I'm just really surprised. No. No. You know, troops.

What do we have to do? Send troops in. We haven't done that yet. Fifty days into this thing. I think, you know, let's hope we don't.

I just think, you know, they're whole strategy. As we want to go into negotiation, look at the top. So that they go, "Oh my God, United States is so powerful." We just bomb 13,000 places in Iran. If that is not getting the message through to them,

nothing's getting the message through to them.

And the United States never gets this message.

We've had the biggest most powerful military in the world for 60 years.

And, you know, in time after time, just pick the time.

Pick the moment from your era. Pick Vietnam. Pick Grenada.

“Or, you know, and the ridiculousness of all of that.”

Or pick the first Gulf war. Or the war in Iraq. Or the war in Afghanistan. Or this war, you know, in almost every one of these instances. Unless we're attacking some tiny nation.

We don't succeed because having the ability to score tactical wins is not the same as having the ability to score strategic victories, which requires troops on the ground changing the perspective of people who know you're willing to fight to the end like they are.

And we are never willing to fight to the end.

We are never going to stay longer than they are. Always have the above the the the the the the the VIP con living in caves. We're like, okay, we have to go through this a few years. But they will lead the Taliban same thing. The Iranians same thing.

They know they can wait us out.

“And this is the whole folly of spending a trillion dollars a year on a military budget.”

You know, it's it produces a useful military if you're defending yourself in a world war. The problem is if you get into a world war. It's with another giant power very likely as a global firm on nuclear war. And everybody loses in that way. So, you know, for what?

We had a very good discussion on this. I need to know on Monday. I urge you to go back. Listen me. John Wolfstall.

Formerly of the NSC, one of the people who helped negotiate to deal with Iran in the first place.

Joe Serencian, one of the most experienced arms control people in the world. Talking about how did we get into the mess? And, you know, Pete Higgs doesn't understand Trump doesn't understand.

“They think they will say we will beat the crap out of you unless you do it.”

You want the Iranians won't do that. And then the US will do exactly what the Iranians and all these other groups are predicted. Which is revealed that we don't have the political will to win the war. And we will fold and have a worse deal than we had on February 27th today before they started. Well, speaking of war, they're seemingly less than or equal to one person who is against being involved in wars.

And that person is Bernie Sanders, who made an effort to block US weapons sales to Israel. That's hardly that failed. That being said, it did draw significant support from other Senate Democrats. So that seems like a good thing, although. No, no, no, it's a, you know, it was a big deal.

And if baby Netanyahu isn't getting the message, I hope you're listening, baby. Not a big fan. Hope you're at the end of your career. You're a genocidal maniac, and I hope you end up in prison for your war crats. But before you go, listen to me.

On previous measures like this, designed to limit arms to Israel, 11 Democrats supported it. How many supported it yesterday, Mera? More than that. Although it just feel a little close but no cigar. It doesn't work in 40, no 40 Democrats supported it yesterday.

80% of the Democrats supported it. Okay, if the Senate changes in November, which looks increasingly likely. Or if Israel continues to alienate US support at the right they're doing it. These these measures are going to lose. But, you know, I also think it is hugely significant.

You know, support for Israel blind support for Israel used to be a bipartisan given in American foreign policy. 80% of the senators on the Democratic Party voted against it. 80% and this goes back to another mistake that BB Netanyahu made back in the day when he just liked that on Trump had trouble. But the United States having a black president. And BB, at the time, essentially went from saying, "Hey, we are friends.

Our societies are friends. It is a non-partisan thing." Just saying, "No, I'm going to be close to their Republicans." And he made it partisan. And he made support for Israel be a thing of the far right.

And he alienated the far left. And those chickens is common home to roost.

Frankly, expecting aid for Israel, which is a country that does not need our aid or subsidies for buying arms for Israel,

“which is a country that can well afford to buy the arms.”

I think that's over soon. So it's not close, but no cigar. It's progress. I'm just feeling a little maybe doomsday isn't the right word. But I just feel like progress is good.

Don't get me wrong. But I'm reaching a point where it's like, I've had enough of progress. Let's just do it already. No, that makes perfect sense. And look, Israel committed genocide.

They used weapons we provided them in the wholesale slaughter of civilians.

It's against the law to actually sell them weapons. If they are not compliant with international law, there's US law that says that. So you're absolutely right. Shouldn't be going on.

“But I do think going from 11 votes against a 40 votes against a big deal.”

So don't give up the ship yet, Mina. Although you're hearts in the right place. Riley. And if you think Mina is like far left, like a far left lefty, you let me introduce you to my friend Riley Fester.

More changing roles a little bit because you're very positive this morning. And I'm very like. Well, I didn't do anything actually. I'm trying to, I'm just trying to lift everybody. I was like, I thought as I was coming here, you know, into the my little studio facility here.

I'm just thinking, why don't people listen to this every day? And although part of it is like, let's get some insight into what's going on. Maybe some Washington insider insight, maybe some perspectives. I don't get elsewhere.

“Part of it, I think is like, how do we cope with this insanity?”

Like, what are these people who are semi sane doing to cope with this insanity? And I think it's important for us to try to find a way forward. Whether it's, you know, constructive way to change things or a way to manage our expectations or our reactions to these things. But also, you know, let's get beyond the athletes. Let's, let's say it was really happening because, you know,

that, I mean, I don't want to pick on our friend David Sanger who is a friend of ours. But I picked up the orp. I don't know, I didn't specify picked up the New York Times. Nobody picks up the New York Times anymore because they don't get newspaper. I, I, I went to the website of the Times.

First thing that popped out to me was David Sanger. And, you know, it's right on the top of the home page and it's David Sanger saying, something that I'm sure somebody at the White House said to him, I'm sure is very well reported. He's a very well respected reporter. And so, you know, he's doing his job, but what he said was,

part of the reason the United States is launching a blockade. It's to put pressure on the Chinese who depend on Iran for, well, and I was like, no, it's not.

I mean, the White House may be saying that, but the reality is,

everybody thinks blockading a blockade is a dumb idea. Everybody thinks that we are not going to be able to do it. And absolutely nobody thinks that the United States is going to fire on a Chinese ship. Because the United States does not want to get into a world war. And, in fact, we have evidence now, there have been stories in the past couple of days

that suggest that the Chinese are actively giving intelligence, as are the Russians, to the Iranians, to target Americans, Trump is still planning to go to China in a couple of weeks. We have not gone after them on that. Trump has been super, you know, supportive of the Chinese. And when we lifted the sanctions on the sale of Russian oil,

and we lifted the sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil, which are Treasury Secretary, by the way, said we are not going to continue to live. But when we lifted, who is the beneficiary? Wasn't us? There's a people who are buying oil from that part of the real world,

the Japanese and the Chinese being at the top of the list. So, you know, the part of the problem you get with the mainstream press, which is interested in maintaining access to the White House, is you, they're sort of obligated to report what they are being told from their inside sources and the White House. But sometimes, a lot of the time, it's complete baloney.

You have any more baloney to cut through here, Riley?

“I do, because President Trump said, you know what?”

I don't have enough fights right now. I'm going to go back to be using it. It was going after the Dalai Lama? No, that's probably coming, though. He's back to his old favorite, which is Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell,

over interest rate disagreements, and confirming that he's going to continue the DOJ probe into construction costs at the Federal Reserve, because, of course, that is really what his focus should be on right now.

Yeah, the problem is this beef is also stalling the confirmation of his nominee,

Kevin Wash, because several senators are refusing to vote until the investigation into the construction costs is actually resolved. Yeah, notably Tom Tillis of North Carolina who's not running again, who's therefore able to have a little bit more courage. Kevin Wash is a pretty horrible candidate, by the way.

Maybe the richest guy ever to go on to the Federal Reserve, because his wife is an eras to the Estee Lauder fortune. But as for the Jerome Powell thing, you know, the Trump's beef is Jerome Powell is not lowering interest rates, because Trump sees higher interest rates as an impediment to economic growth. But see, the Fed raises interest rates for variety of reasons,

notably to control inflation, because inflation used to be a priority of this administration and this priority of the Fed. And when you impose a double-secret super-blockade on oil, when you launch a war that lasts for a couple of months and disrupts global energy flows, fertilizer flows, food flows, and so on. What do you get? You get more inflation.

Inflation, which was coming down a little bit, is now backed up at or above the level it was at the end of the Biden administration, when Trump got elected. This is absolutely not the time the Federal Reserve is going to lower interest rates. Now, have you said that? I think, you know, there is a question about what happens when Powell's term expires,

“which I think is in May, and, you know, can he stay on under the rules until somebody is confirmed to hold his position?”

And Trump is saying, you know, he can't, and I'm going to get rid of him, and I'm going to fire him, and I'm going to kick him out. We'll see, because Powell has shown himself to be a fighter. You know, there was an interview the other day with Trump, you know, speaking of don't take things at face value, with Maria Barra Romor, who, however, most of his interviews these ways are with Maria Barra Romo Fox, because she is a complete tool, and she will do whatever he wants.

But there was an interview with, I think with her, in which she said he said, "Well, I was just surprised when Biden extended Powell's term." Who pointed Jerome Powell? Donald Trump? Donald Trump is the guy who picked Jerome Powell. So, you know, we got, we got all that going on. So that's, by the way, you know, another thing you said in that interview, which I think is interesting, particularly, if you're Sam Alito sitting up on the hill, was he started talking about like Ruth Ginsburg and how she stayed too long in her job at the Supreme Court.

And, you know, if we lose control of the Senate, we won't be able to put somebody into the Supreme Court, and, you know, our, you know, people on, you know, sort of team Trump need to think about that, which was kind of, you know, a little bit of a nudge elbow in the ribs for Sam Alito.

“So, I don't know, I think he's getting antsy, but you want to know what a prediction here? I'll give you a prediction.”

The next person he fires is going to be the Secretary of Labor. Because there's this whole scandal, emails, sleeves, you know, inappropriate behavior, all this stuff going on, and that just can't continue. And she would be fired in any administration. Also, he likes firing women, because he's a misogynist, an addition to being a racist, and an addition to being corrupt and a terrible president. By the way, I bet I have a story that you don't have here about him being a terrible president.

Do you see the Catholic charity story? I have not seen that one. No. No, you know, the Pope's having a problem with the president, the president's having a problem with the Pope and stuff.

Well, Trump apparently put the kabaosh on like $11 million for Catholic charities in my end.

Just said, "No, we're not going to provide money to this group, which is using this money to help people."

Well, some charities do need money. The Catholic Church doesn't need a ton of money. But if they're running programs that are benefiting the American people that otherwise would be run by a government and some other country, you know, it's not a terrible thing to help them out. But the point is, if you are denying them funds, because the Pope said there should be peace on her.

“You know, we're in a bad place here because, you know, what Pope say that?”

A couple of exceptions. But, you know, it's actually the Pope's job, you know, in his job description of, you know, Victor of Christ on Earth and so on and so forth is to promote peace. Anyway, let's get on to your next elevating inspiring story. Yeah, really quick. I'm just finishing up here on Kashi because I'm all the predictions that you're--

Oh, yeah, they are making. It's just want to catch in on that. Yeah, okay. And I'm also-- Remember, the place you bet is Kashi, not Kashi.

Kashi is a kind of serial. But anyway, go on. No, no, what I said, I apologize. No, no, I'm just teasing you. Go on.

Go on. Come on. Give us a story. People are waiting. All right.

I'm going to uno reverse on. Teased me on Riley's last story.

“And instead of picking a fight with someone who's trying to do something good,”

we're going to make way for people who are doing bad things, which is the Justice Department seeking to overturn seditious conspiracy convictions against members of extremist groups involved in the January 6th attack. And that would erase their record and restore certain rights.

That would be taken away based on those convictions. Yeah, I mean, look, this is part of one of the administration's most successful programs, which is returning criminals they like into circulation in our society. They've done a lot for billionaire fraudsters. They've done a lot for millionaire fraudsters.

They've done a lot for white collar criminals. But the one group they've done the most for are January 6th insurrectionists.

I mean, the first thing you did was pardon them.

He's given them jobs in the administration. He has like, you know, you know, a work program for insurrectionists. And now, what he wants to do is erase their convictions altogether, so that it's not on any record anywhere that they committed to crime. Now, this may seem just politically motivated.

But it's more than politically motivated. It's saying what they did is okay. It's saying attacking the capital is okay. It's saying insurrection on behalf of Trump is okay. But interestingly, it happened at precisely the same day,

time that the director of national intelligence referred for criminal prosecution. The cases of the person who was a whistleblower on Trump, misusing funds that were intended for Ukraine in 2019,

which led to his first impeachment.

And she also referred for criminal prosecution. The Inspector General, who followed up on it. Did these people do anything wrong? No.

“In fact, did they do something courageous, patriotic and right?”

Yes. Did they break any laws? No. So, you have the flip side of them trying to wipe clear the slate of a bunch of criminals. And they're going after people who've done nothing wrong simply because the target of their criticism,

the target of the investigation was strong. It is totally political. There is no justice coming out of the Department of Justice in the United States. And frankly, the deeper we get into this term, the less there is. Pretty, pretty, disgusting.

I just, I'm throw down a challenge. Riley, Mera, yet cannot come up with a story more disgusting than this. I just don't believe it. I'm Theresa and my experience in all entrepreneurs, started a shopping trip to Poland.

I'm aware of the first day of the first day.

And the platform does not have any problems.

I have the feeling that shopping trip is a platform that can only be obtained.

“Everything is super, just integrated and linked.”

And the time and the money that I can never find other ways to invest in.

For all of them, in Waxtum. Now, let's take a look at the shopping trip.de. Well, I accept your challenge because we have a new details about the amazing life of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his affinity for dead animals. Because a passage of a new biography about him includes a bizarre incident where he stopped

his vehicle to harvest a road kill that he had. He stopped his vehicle full of his kids. He was a family trip and he was in a van full of his kids. So imagine you're one of his kids watching what Riley is about to describe. He stopped his vehicle to harvest a road kill that rackoons the genitals.

It's penis supposedly for study, though I'm not really sure what there is to glean from a dead raccoon penis. The home study, can you imagine? Hey kids, I just got a hop out because look, look, I've just cut off the raccoon's penis. I'm going to take it home. Dad, really?

Yeah, now we're going to study. I'm going to study it later. You are? I mean, you're got really? You're going to study it.

A raccoon penis later on, Dad.

“I mean, this is not, is this, is this, is he like a naturalist?”

Is this just beautiful scientific behavior?

Or is this, because my first reaction to the idea of a guy with a car full of kids stopping

on the side of the road cutting off a raccoon penis going back to his kids and saying, Hey kids, look, a raccoon penis is to say, this guy is at his fucking mind. Now, if I also knew that he was a former heroin addict, and that he has a long history of roadkill with whale heads and bears,

which he takes off of one street and puts him onto another street. And let's say, he needs to be institutionalized. But maybe you guys think it's just an innocent, naturalist behavior like any father picking up a box turtle off the street and saying, hey kids, look, a turtle.

Can someone write a note for me to remind me to not go on vacation with RFK junior family? Because I feel like all of these stories of him happen while he's like on a vacation or a grand kid is visiting him or like something is happening on a family trip. Well, he had a big, I don't want to be part of it.

Yeah, well, he had a big family, but I have to say a lot of the members of that family were like when he got, was nominated. They were like, don't do it.

You know, I mean, an amazing number of his brothers and sisters were like,

don't do it. This is a bad, weird, weird guy. And I got to admit that Trump administration is full of weirdos.

“And, you know, I think JD Vance is a weirdo, frankly, I think Marko's a little bit of a weirdo.”

Stephen Miller looks like he, you know, eats small animals for breakfast. Has a pocket full of cockroaches that he pops in for a snack in the middle of the day. Then can I introduce you to RFK junior? Yeah, well, that's what he was saying. Christie known as weird there, but these people are weird, right? In fact, you know, come to think of it.

When you think about it, RFK junior was sent to an asylum, a public facility, which is the Trump administration. I mean, the Trump administration is a lunatic asylum. And we just want to go and make a list of these people who, it's not just that, you know, we make disagree with them on policy.

It's that they're cuckoo for cocoa puffs. I mean, they are out there doing weird shit, water beds, and planes, and, you know, brod kill and, you know, lecturing the poke on theology. And the thing is, every day of the week, it's some new cradle, look at the last week. You know, one day, the president of the United States, you know,

announces he's going to commit genocide. And then another day, he says, no, we're not going to commit genocide. We're going to go and sign a peace treaty with the people we were in a war with the day before on their terms. And then he gets into a fight with the Pope.

And then, you know, his vice president lectures the Pope on theology. And then his secretary of health and human services is revealed to be a

Is that a thing? And we're just like another day. It's a, yeah, it's like okay.

“What's today going to, what's today going to be?”

And that, you know, frankly, there'll be some other craziness. And we'll keep track of all the craziness here.

I remember doing the first term.

There's a political scientist that Tufts named Dan Dresner. And he had a block. Do you remember blogs before your time? Remember? Yeah, Riley, did you ever have a block?

I did not have a block. I am aware of them. Dayton talk. No. In any event, this guy, Dan Dresner had a blog in the first term.

In which every day he recounted something else Trump did that made him think that Trump was bathing like a toddler. But that seemed so benign. You know, back then we were like, yeah, he was bathing like a toddler.

Compared to what's going on now, which is all certifiably luning.

The only conclusion I can come to is the Trump administration is the highest level, best paid, come fees, not house in the world from the people's house to a nut house. That's where we are.

“And that's what we'll talk about today's only Thursday.”

So we'll be talking about it tomorrow. But if you want real insights into what's going on, we got them for you. You know, we've got the TNR daily. We did our, our deep state radio yesterday with Tom Nichols of the Atlantic. I know many of you like Tom Nichols of the Atlantic.

And also of course, Rosa Brooks, an adolescent. It don't some pretty funny stories about his efforts to speak to Trump on the phone recently. So definitely, definitely tune into that one. And of course, we have Norm Ornstein and words matter this afternoon. And, you know, we're getting a lot of positive feedback on that one.

As somebody said, in the social media is a couple of days ago. Oh, I like Norm or David, they're two of my favorite Jews.

It's always good to have a couple.

You know, then you can refer to it. Anyway, so we've got all of that. We've got all the usual kind of podcast these stuff. And, you know, yesterday in the podcast, one of the things we said was, you know, here we are and we're on YouTube.

It's very easy. I mean, you can participate and communicate with us in a variety of ways. But on YouTube, it's super easy to comment. And, you know, we've got a lot of comments from from from, yes, babe. We are encouraging it.

The more the Marier sign up, subscribe by all means on YouTube. And participate in the show. Guide us. Tell us more stories that you'd like, like, you want more stories on a wildlife? I'm forestry, which since the like we just ended with here, let us know.

Because we can provide you know, Riley can become the David Attenborough. And there, the male son, former US attorney general, has gotten out of his van. And he's approaching the carcass of the dead raccoon with a sharp implement. What will he be doing? Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That's, you know, you can just to see the wildlife documentary. I love that you're considering that a story about forestry, and not like, absolutely lunacy. It's like wildlife molestation.

Yeah, it's that also. It's, it's, it's all those things.

“That's what's so, you know, great about the Trump administration.”

It's horrifying. And yet on some level, it's also hilarious. And somehow we have to balance all of that. We don't want to lose our sense of outrage. It's horrifying, or discuss.

But at the same time, we don't want to lose our sense of humor. Or we will go, you know, nuts ourselves. And that's what we're here to help avoid. Anyway, Riley, you know, take a nap. Clear your heads of this.

Have a productive day. Everybody. Same thing. Clear your heads. Go out.

Take a walk. And resume activity. And we'll see you later with a more instinct. We'll see you tomorrow with this show. And anything you miss?

Go to YouTube. Go watch. Listen. Comment on our. Customs.

Anyway, talk to you soon.

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