Dan Goldman
Appearances
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Well, the simplest way to describe.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Exactly. What I say pretty consistently is the easiest way to describe my district is it is the coolest district in the country. We have basically Manhattan below 14th Street. So we have the West Village, we have the Greenwich Village, we have the East Village, Lower East Side, Chinatown, Soho, Tribeca Financial District. And then about half of the district actually is over in Brooklyn.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
So we have Dumbo, a lot of downtown Brooklyn. It sort of cuts right through downtown. Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Brownstone Brooklyn, and then it goes south even further all the way through Borough Park, Sunset Park, a little bit into Bay Ridge, and Red Hook, and then it comes back up the coast.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
So it's a great, diverse district with lots of really spectacular neighborhoods, and it's fun to represent.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
No, I'm actually not. I think there is data on that. My district is very much of a barbell. There are very, very wealthy... Some highs and some lows. But there's a significant number of my constituents who are really struggling. And I've got, for example, 31...
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
nicht public housing developments in my district and have a lot of of neighborhoods that are underserved and have been i think underrepresented by elected officials and i spend most of my time in the district in those neighborhoods
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I think that that is a very reasoned, rational and probably common thought. I very intentionally don't view it that way. Because I am someone who approaches this as... A true rising tide lifts all boats. And that even when you talk to the real estate developers, etc., they are also very much invested in New York City and in making New York City a better, more affordable place. place to live.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And that's to their benefit as well. So I actually do not think that working as a member in this district has mutually exclusive interests, because I think that if you are working to help those that need perhaps a little bit more of a boost, as long as you're not trying to do that at the expense of
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
of other people, and I think that's one of the things that the Democratic Party suffers from, is to view it as a zero-sum game. Or not and, right? You're taking it away from someone else. I don't think that's the right way to look at it. It's not the way I look at it. And I think because of that, we can all collectively be working together to improve the city, the country, and everyone's lives.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
That's a very good question. I took an unconventional path to Congress because I was not an elected official beforehand. And I had worked as a staff member in Washington. Most members of Congress get to... get to Washington, get to Congress, they're very familiar with their districts and all of the leaders and the community stakeholders and other officials, etc. And they need to learn DC.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I actually kind of had it the reverse. I felt most comfortable in a committee room because that's what I had done as a staff member. And so I spent a lot of time, I hired a disproportionate amount of staff in the district because I wanted to make sure that I was putting proper resources in the district so that Even if I have to be in D.C., I have staff everywhere.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And so the real steepest learning curve for me was really understanding a lot of the local politics, a lot of the local issues. Ja, genau. Genau, genau. Und so habe ich das genossen, weil ich mehr ein Konvenienten und mehr jemand bin, der ein Verkäufer ist, der versucht, Dinge zu machen und versucht, das schwierige politische Umfeld in New York City zu navigieren.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Und ich habe das tatsächlich viel mehr genossen, als ich es erwartet hätte, bevor ich in die Office ging.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
It's a great question. I spent 10 years as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. And the rule of law was everything. And I say that because...
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
in obviously in legal profession in litigation you are you are governed by laws and everything you're doing is either interpreting of the law or enforcing the law but when you are a prosecutor you are truly driven by the law and justice you're not driven
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
It was really important to always keep in mind that my job was to justly, equitably and properly enforce the law, not necessarily beat defense counsel. And so that you're presented with sort of a different quandary. There were many times when I would go to the court
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Und ich würde sagen, dass ich eigentlich beide Seiten repräsentieren würde, weil ich mich gezwungen fühlte, sicherzustellen, dass das Gericht all die Informationen hatte, auch wenn es mir nicht hilfreich war. Und so war meine Sicht auf die Regelung des Landes, du weißt, an diesem Halcyon-Niveau, wie das alles ist.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Our criminal law and our criminal law enforcement depends so much on the proper enforcement, the just enforcement of laws. Our legal system, we don't have as many other countries do a civil code. where every specific instance, every issue has a specific line item that decides it.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
What our system is based on, and it's the same as, you know, and people complain about the tort system, we enforce our laws. in sehr vielen Fällen durch private Litigation und durch die Haltung der Leute zur Gesetzgebung, nicht unbedingt von der Regierung, sondern von anderen Litiganten. Es gibt Vorteile und Kosten dazu, aber so funktioniert es.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Unsere gesamte Wirtschaft, unser gesamtes System der Regierung
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
depends on a fidelity to the law and depends on the rules based order which you hear a lot about which really just goes down to the there are rules there are laws they govern there's a neutral independent arbiter of those and that's a judge and it's it's up to everybody to try to convince the judge but whatever the judge says is what happens
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Now, you know, things that were so fundamental that I would have never in a million years thought would be called into question are being called into question. Due process. The basic fundamentals of due process, which is you are provided with notice of what you're charged or alleged to have done. You are given an opportunity to be heard and a neutral arbiter decides it.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I mean, that's the entire legal system. That's how it works. And that is the very basis of the rule of law that is now under attack.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
That's right. And your legal protections, which, yes, I think... Regardless of citizenship. Und es ist wichtig, das zu erinnern. Und das ist einer der Probleme, die ich gerade habe, mit dem, was jetzt passiert ist. Es ist ein sehr schrägere Strecke, wenn man beginnt, die konstitutionellen Rechte zu dividieren, ob man ein Bürger oder ein Nichtbürger ist.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Was unser Land groß macht, ist, dass wir eine Art von Gesetz haben, die für jeden, der in unserem Land ist, beiträgt.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
That's right. And it's a very dangerous, dangerous slippery slope if you go down that rabbit hole.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Ja, ähm, ich denke, äh, eine Sache, die Donald Trump gemacht hat, sowohl am ersten als auch im zweiten Termin, ist, dass er die Schwierigkeit ausgesprochen hat, wie viel unsere Regierung wirklich auf zwei Dinge hängt. Ähm, das eine ist diese Aufmerksamkeit des Offices und dass jeder ausgewählte Offizier und bis zu und vor allem der Präsident eine Aufmerksamkeit nimmt.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
To follow the Constitution and in the President's case to faithfully execute the laws. And if if you are unwilling or uninterested in following that oath to take an independent responsibility to view what the Constitution says and follow it, then you are already
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
in unprecedented land i don't think there's ever maybe you you're more of a historian than i know but in recent history no you have to go back to andrew jackson right you just said you know let them enforce it right you know they're back in the end of the day and that's what i was going to say but we're all bracing we're all bracing for a moment where
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And so that is part of it, right? Yeah. That is a perfect example, following court orders, which we never questioned before and now seems to be something at issue. I don't know, how would you codify that, though?
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
No, I mean, that one you can't really. But the next one that I think, I spent a lot of time thinking about, just because I spent 10 years in the Department of Justice, right? The idea that a president... does not weigh in on any individual prosecutions was a norm created after Watergate especially, but even prior to that, that was just accepted.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Und, weißt du, da gab es, und das waren nur sozusagen verweilte Referenzen, richtig?
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I think there's a good argument to support that. And now Donald Trump is literally signing executive orders directing his attorney general to criminally investigate two people whose crime appears to be that they spoke out against an opposition and disagreement with what Donald Trump said. Das ist etwas, das nicht verabschiedet ist.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Es ist nicht klar, wo die Division von Politik und Kriminalverwaltung liegt. Ja, der Staatssekretär wird natürlich vom Präsidenten verabschiedet und ist Teil des Kabinetts. But the president is supposed to be walled off under the norms of the Department of Justice, many individual prosecutions. He's obviously just blown that out of the water in an egregious way.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
But there are also norms and protocols for who in the White House can talk to whom in the Department of Justice. And there was literally a whole sort of infrastructure built around these norms. that Donald Trump is just blown out of the water. And so that is one thing, I think, that needs to be codified. Enforcement of congressional subpoenas.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
There was and traditionally has been a because the executive branch and the president at the top takes a an oath to follow the Constitution and to faithfully execute the laws. And part of following the Constitution is recognizing the co-equal branches of government and acknowledging and appreciating and respecting what Congress's oversight interest is and its responsibility. And therefore
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Even if you are negotiating what they call the accommodations process, subpoenas from the Congress to the executive branch, there is always an expectation that you comply with those subpoenas. When Donald Trump said in 2019, I'm going to defy all the subpoenas, he blew that norm out of the water. So we are now going to have to figure out a much...
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Could you could you use the fact that if you're on a tax if you're salaried, you're a taxpayer funded salary?
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
You can't do that right now. There's no mechanism. where you could do that. There used to be 100 years ago something called inherent contempt, which, by the way, we looked into when I was doing the impeachment investigation and because the administration was just defying all of the impeachment subpoenas. But there's no mechanism to do that right now.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And so we need to implement a much more robust mechanism to enforce congressional subpoenas, to make them meaningful again. And so that's another example. There are many more, but this is something that a lot of us are thinking about.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Yes, I mean, the way I would think more about doing it is rather than sort of by appointment, is separating the criminal division and the civil division. One of the things that the Department of Justice is not just the criminal justice system. There's a tremendous amount of both affirmative and defensive civil litigation.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Es könnte sein, aber es gibt auch, das ist, besonders in den affirmative civil cases, in den civil areas, das ist, wo die politischen Voraussetzungen eines Präsidenten wahrscheinlich noch mehr zählen als auf der kriminellen Seite. Und so musst du die Tatsache balancieren, dass es eine Politik gibt, die die Departement der Gerechtigkeit implementiert.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Es sind nicht nur individuelle kriminelle Verhandlungen.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Ja, aber was sich auch ändert, und das ist typisch, ist, dass die republikanischen Regierungen viel weniger Fraud-Aufgaben machen, viel weniger Weihrauch-Fraude. Ich meine, Donald Trump hat die Vor- und Korrupt-Praktiken-Akt effektiv nullifiziert. overtly and openly. And Republican administrations focus much more on drugs and gangs and crime.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
That's where the traditional only because there's a limited amount of resources. So what are you going to prioritize? Right. I think most people would agree all of that is is important to do so. But that's a policy product. Right. So how do you balance the fact that a president gets to implement policy priorities for the enforcement of our laws.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And that's even more so, I think, in the civil division, where any affirmative case is really much more a focus of policy, because people's lives and liberty are not at stake. And rarely, in a lot of cases, You're not even suing individuals.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
It's much more larger issues related to whether it be civil rights, as you say, police departments or environmental justice, environmental issues against companies. There's a lot more sort of business-oriented litigation. That is much more driven by policy than any individual prosecution. And what you really have to avoid is using the threat or the actuality of imprisonment as a political tool.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
That's the stuff of Banana Republics. That's what our State Department goes around the world telling countries that we will not support them if they continue to prosecute their political opponents. I mean, Ukraine is a great example of that, that when Joe Biden said, you better fire the prosecutor general or we're not going to support a billion dollar loan.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Es war, weil dieser Prosecutor General korrupt war und politische Gegner und seine politischen Begleiter verurteilt hatte. Wir haben also die Ukraine verletzt und gesagt, dass wir diesen IMF-Lohn nicht unterstützen werden, wenn dieser korrupte Prosecutor in seinem Job nur politische Gegner verurteilt hat. I mean, imagine that was 10 years ago and here we are.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Well, I... Yeah, I mean, it's sort of a back. I mean, I think it's a circular way of looking at it, which is that the impeachment process has been so corrupted by politics. And one of the other things that the founders were very concerned about was extreme partisanship.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Look, you know, we have not encountered a situation like that where there were, I mean, at a minimum, Es gab Verhältnisse und Aktionen von einem Präsidenten der Vereinigten Staaten, die eine kriminelle Untersuchung garantieren. Und schau, lange bevor Donald Trump sogar erklärte, dass er wieder für Präsidenten rannte,
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I went on, I may have been on your show at the time, I certainly went on TV and said, this is his plan. He is going to say that they're trying to keep me off the ballot, it's election interference, that's why they're coming after me, even though he's not a candidate. He's a private citizen before he announced that he was running.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And like anybody else, you know, if a grand jury of, you know, finds that there's probable cause to indict and a jury, unanimous jury of 12 convicts, It's not that easy to do that beyond a reasonable doubt with admissible evidence and this is the foundation of our legal system and we rely on that jury system and it should be able to apply to a former president.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
The question then becomes, alright, what do you do with a candidate for president, a candidate for office? Well, we deal with that all the time. I mean, there have been many corruption cases of elected officials, members of Congress and others. They're candidates for office and they are charged. And we have to make sure that our public officials are also following the law.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
What Merrick Garland did is, while Donald Trump was a private citizen, he had the Justice Department investigate. And I think, frankly, the primary reason why Merrick Garland was nominated by Joe Biden is that he was completely apolitical. He had been a judge for 20 years.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Yeah, and I think that is a very legitimate criticism and one that I've made as well. But we do have a special counsel system. And I think what is that not only has impeachment broken down, I think, as a form of accountability, because it is near impossible. Well, if Donald Trump is not going to get convicted by.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Ja, ich meine, ich denke, es ist tiefer als das, weil ich denke, dass er eine unerklärte Infatuation und Obsession mit Wladimir Putin hat. Und ich denke, was wir gerade sehen, ist, dass Wladimir Putin das Modell des Leiters ist, das Donald Trump gerne sein würde. I thought a lot about this, as you can imagine. I bet.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Why would he trust Vladimir Putins word over our entire intelligence communities word? which he did in 2018 when he said he believed that Putin didn't interfere in the election, even though our intelligence community had really unequivocally for the intelligence community said that he had, they had. And it didn't add up, right? And so, well, was it Trump Tower Russia? Right.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Maybe there is a little bit of that. I don't know. Is it being an asset or they are holding something over him? All of that's possible, but there's been no evidence of that that's ever been brought public. And I think what ultimately is going on is that Donald Trump wishes he had the power and the government structure that Vladimir Putin does.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And that's why he's got Elon Musk and the other oligarchs.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Well, and what's really fascinating about it is how he's been able to do that while also maintaining a very populist approach.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I don't know what else. When history books look at this, the fact that he won this most recent election and even more so that he has corralled and usurped total control of his party. In a way that no president has in modern times.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And to such an extent that I see every day, the Republican majority in the House has completely yielded and turned over all of their own authority to Donald Trump. I mean, they've gone even so far as to use procedural tricks to prevent Congress from voting on the tariffs because they are the leadership is so in cahoots with Trump that you're not allowed.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I think what happened, at least what I'm, I'm not aware of that.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
As I understand what happened is Trump's 10% tariffs are based on a invocation of emergency powers under IEPA, the International Emergency Powers Act.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Yeah, no, very questionable. But within that law, and it is a law. Right. They don't want to vote on that. My colleague in New York, Greg Meeks, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, submitted that privileged motion, is what it's called.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And what Mike Johnson did, and the Republican majority did, is because it was 15 calendar days before it had to come up, they put in one of the procedural rule motions that the clock will be stopped on that specific resolution if that rule passes.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Just for that one bill, that one resolution.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I mean, right, so it's built into the law that Congress has oversight over an implication of this emergency powers.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
That's April 10th. We're still on April 10th or whatever. Stopped on the 8th calendar day or whatever it was. It's no longer moving forward. And so it will never be right to be voted on. So they're literally saying, I'm going to take away Congress's statutory power to weigh in on the tariffs to avoid the vote.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Now, what's interesting about it is, of course, if all of the Republicans actually supported the tariffs... It wouldn't be a big issue. Sure, you'd vote on it, it'd be over. But he knows that he would lose the vote.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And so because he wants to control what happens in Congress and he wants to yield all power to Donald Trump, they have literally just taken away all of their own power and they're no longer a co-equal branch of government.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Well, if your listeners know what a discharge petition is, then they understand how little power you have in the minority. And so we don't, unfortunately, we don't have subpoena power. As you point out, we cannot even put a discharge petition without Republican support. We have no control over what bills go on the floor and are voted on. So our options are limited.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
But because it's such a slim majority and because there are so many Republican members in purple districts, in very, very close districts, The pressure, the rhetorical pressure, as you described it, but the pressure that we and the American people can put on those members of Congress can and I think are having an impact.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
on how they will vote on legislation that is designed to gut our federal government, to eliminate Medicaid, to destroy Social Security, so many government programs. And they know, and I have four of them in New York, right around my district, know that if they vote to cut Medicaid, a third of their constituents receive their health care through Medicaid.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And the second thing, though, is to make sure that a lot of probably not listeners of yours, low information voters, who were swindled effectively by Donald Trump into believing that he was going to lower costs and he was going to reduce inflation because he said he was and he's done the exact opposite.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
We have to make sure they understand what's at stake right now and what the Republicans are trying to do. And so people like, you know, Mike Lawler and Nick Lolota and Nicole Malliotakis and Andrew Garbarino in New York City or the environs realize that there will be an outrage if they do put healthcare for a third of their constituents and they will lose their election.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Yes, I think that's right. Now, I think broadly talking to Republicans is actually one of the things that we have to figure out how to do. I say this a lot. My comms director emails a bunch of Fox News shows every week to ask if I can come on. And they don't let me come on because I think they don't want to hear the other side of things.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Maybe. But we have to figure out a way so that we can talk directly to people so they understand what's at stake.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Well, the obvious thing is the economy. I think there's recent statistics, data that I've seen, that somewhere in the 70s percentage of Donald Trump voters had as their number one issue the economy. You know, it's the old Carville saying, it's the economy, stupid.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I'm not sure it's always just that, but I do think what we learned from this last election is that people can't worry about larger businesses Exactly. They don't always. Right. That's right. And so there's I think there's no question that that is going to be a central issue. And it is the one I think that resonates the most right now when we talk about how they are, that Trump is trying to gut
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
our critical government services and programs to pave the way for tax cuts for billionaires, that message really resonates, okay? And that's probably going to resonate. But I agree with you, Chuck, that we cannot just forego talking about some of these broader issues that are truly structural in nature to our country, to our basic way of living, to our fundamental values.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Und dass, auch wenn das nicht das Nummer-eine-Message ist, dass es Teil der Konversation sein muss. Weil an einem Punkt, wenn Donald Trump die Regelung des Gesetzes erneuert, was er, übrigens, nur durch die Verabschiedung von Regeln der Regierung macht, die Verabschiedung von kollektiven Verhandlungen.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
But we'll see. You very well may be right. But imagine a scenario where somehow it's not overturned. And now you have companies, and you talk about breach of contract. How much of our economy is dependent on the enforcement of contracts? Now, we just take that as accepted. Totally. Whether you're employed, right, and he's wiping this stuff away.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I mean, imagine if, you know, some company was like, ooh, you know, this deal I entered into isn't turning out so well. I'm just not gonna follow it. So, you know, I do think there are broader things, but ultimately the economy is. All right.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I think it is a very important message that we all need to realize, both in New York City and across the country. And it's part of the reason why I endorsed State Senator Zellmüller-Meyer back in February, because we really do need a new generation of democratic elected officials, of people who understand that business is not as usual right now.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
You know, President Biden, I think, should go down as one of... the most consequential presidents because of all of the legislation passed in his first two years but he was operating in a world that no longer exists and so in it's it's really time i think for us to move forward rather than continually reaching back into the past for people and ideas that are stale.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I think this is a good example of how sometimes politics does not bring out the best in our country.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
And I think that oftentimes that is ultimately too much of the litmus test.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Aber jetzt, dass ich hier bin, ist es interessant, die Innerworkings davon zu sehen und zu sehen, wie die Maschine funktioniert. Und es funktioniert. Und ich denke, dass Name-Rekognition in den Wahlverwaltungen viel ist, richtig? Und die beiden haben weit und weit die höchste Name-Rekognition. Das kann sich ändern, als du näher zu den Wahlverwaltungen kommst.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I mean, I think probably the the constituents of mine that you are talking to.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Ja, ich meine, natürlich. Aber du hörst, dass die Stadt kompetente Führung braucht. Und Andrew Cuomo ist jemand, der hat einige persönliche, ernsthafte persönliche Verletzungen und hat, ich glaube, einige echten Schädel auf seine Regierungen.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Und ich denke, viele Leute scheinen das zu überprüfen, weil sie ihn als den kompetentsten Managern und Exekutiven im Bereich sehen. Und das ist wirklich nach den letzten Jahrhunderten oder so, das ist wirklich, was New York City braucht.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I really like the idea of people who have new ideas, new energy, will hire very smart people to execute and manage, but have a different vision that is forward looking. And that's certainly what I'm trying to be myself.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
Look, if you name your team after a submarine chain restaurant, you just can't talk trash about fantasy football.
The Chuck ToddCast
Trump’s Weaponization Of The Justice Department + Is A Blue Wave Building For 2026?
I'm going to let the person you directed that to... There's one person, I think, who knows what I'm talking about. I love it. But needless to say, fantasy football is something I very much look forward to.
The Dan Bongino Show
The Bongino Brief: Watch Out! Here Is The Left’s Plan For AI
By spending that money on immigration judges and on a system that can quickly evaluate asylum claims, we won't have to have a witness here telling us that fentanyl is a problem. We all know fentanyl is a problem. And in fact, we all know that the drug cartels control the border.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dems Finally OUTMANEUVER Trump with RAPID RESPONSE
$3 trillion are distributed through these federal programs. And a policy difference under the law is not a good reason. It's not a sufficient reason to stop payment of federal funds. So just because Donald Trump doesn't like it does not give him license under the law, as Caroline Levitt said, there's of course no reference to what law,
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dems Finally OUTMANEUVER Trump with RAPID RESPONSE
but it is flatly illegal congressman and here's democratic congressman dan goldman again what really happened here anderson is that they planned to stop all funding and that there was enough of an outrage that they released supplemental guidance today trying to roll this back but what was clear is they shut down all of the money right away and that was their plan
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Dems Finally OUTMANEUVER Trump with RAPID RESPONSE
And what either they didn't realize because of ignorance or perhaps cruelty was the point of it, is that it would have a tremendous impact on hundreds of millions of Americans.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Fox News Panics on Air Over Trump’s Health Issues
Well, I don't think he's competent, Will. I don't know what to tell you. Whether his cognitive abilities are sufficient to get past the 25th Amendment, you know, we don't know that right now. But I think what is clear is that he has driven our country into a disastrous economy. He has undermining the fundamental rule of law and democracy.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Fox News Panics on Air Over Trump’s Health Issues
He is taking away benefits in order to cut taxes for the rich. I think even you, Will, would have to agree with me that this first 100 days is not at all what he promised the American people.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
And so what this whiplash with the tariffs has done is it's not only clearly driven up prices and is going to drive up prices, But it has spooked the American economy because there's no clear strategy here. It is purely Donald Trump's whims and latest gut feeling. And a lot of times just his tough guy routine where he needs to win the battle of wills. And so I think it's got everyone very scared.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
And I think that's why the Atlanta Federal Reserve is so noticeably anticipating and predicting that there's going to be a real constriction in the economy. We've seen it in the stock market, but we're going to start seeing it in the unemployment numbers as well.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
You know, Ben, whatever you want to say about the November election and the outcome and some mythical mandate that Donald Trump claims, the exit polling was very clear that the number one issue on voters' minds was the economy and affordability. And Donald Trump promised to make the cost of living much more affordable for lower and middle class Americans.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
And what he has done since January 20th is the exact opposite. He not only is making it less affordable, as you just said, inflation is going up, the cost of eggs and groceries are going up, all costs are increasing, but he is also whacking and slashing critical vital services and funding that middle and lower income Americans rely on.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
And so Elon Musk might think that the federal government is the same thing as Twitter, but the downside to cutting 75% of costs on Twitter is that you have a crappy social media platform. The downside of cutting half of the United States government is that tens of millions of Americans who rely on that funding don't get it. And it's going to harm a lot of people.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
It is going to hurt our health care. It is going to hurt our housing. It is going to hurt our food insecurity. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. Seniors, veterans. And then to make matters worse, they're going after Medicaid.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
with 72 million Americans receive their healthcare through Medicaid, about 40% of children, almost two thirds of seniors in nursing homes get their healthcare through Medicaid. And there's no way to meet the house budget without absolutely slashing Medicaid. And Elon Musk has said, as you pointed out, Social Security and Medicare are also on the chopping block.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
So this was a complete bait and switch by Donald Trump, who blatantly lied to the American people in the lead up to the election and now is betraying every single one of his campaign promises.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
I think so. And the worst of it has yet to come. because the reason they're trying to cut all of this government spending is not what you might think based on all of the rhetoric the Republicans usually use, which is to reduce the deficit. No, it is to pave the way for more tax cuts for Elon Musk, Donald Trump, billionaires, the largest corporations, the ultra wealthy.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
And so they are actually cutting all of these essential programs for the vast majority of American people. in order to cut taxes on the wealthy. So that part of it is starting to get out there, but it has not come through Congress yet, as for example, Medicaid did. And so it's gonna get worse and worse and worse as we move forward.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
And with the slashing, the indiscriminate, I mean, this is really what really burns me up. is this Musk slashing has nothing whatsoever to do with waste, fraud, and abuse. That is complete bogus. I support getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse. I support streamlining and making our government more efficient. I certainly would love to use technology to do that, and we should.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
But Elon Musk is literally using keywords and getting rid of programs that have names that he doesn't like. He has no idea whether it's waste or fraud. And not only that, the stuff that he is representing is what he's doing. is pretty much all lies. I mean, one line item he had mistakenly put billions of dollars instead of millions, eight billion versus eight million.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
He triple counted another cost cutting measure and doubled the amount. He's been floating and promoting cutting programs that ended in George W. Bush's presidency. I mean, this guy is just arbitrarily slashing. But you know what he's not slashing, Ben? He is not slashing any of the $13 billion of government contracts that he receives.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
Instead, he's trying to use his power and his influence to take over an FAA contract for his Starlink company at the tune of $2.4 billion. And it's an egregious conflict of interest. It's corruption at its worst. And it really is not only harmful to the American people, but it's a fundamental attack on our democracy.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
My response is she would benefit from going to law school before she starts spouting off about what's unconstitutional or not. She might also want to look down in the Fifth Circuit for how many nationwide injunctions a district court judge down in Texas has issued in favor of Republicans. But the bottom line is they don't have any good arguments other than Donald Trump is king.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
And we know Donald Trump is not king. That's not how this country works. The courts are analyzing what the rationale is for these arguments. you know, complete cuts, just slashing without any real individualized attention or focus. And they're doing it in violation of the employee's rights. As you point out, the disdain and and
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
the demeaning way that they speak about federal government employees who, by the way, I mean, I was one for 10 years as a prosecutor, but so many of the others that I have come across are real American patriots. I mean, these are people who are sacrificing, making a lot more money in the private sector to anonymously serve the United States government. And they are experts in many, many respects.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
And this type of purging is just gutting our civil service. It will make our government far less efficient, far less effective. And it's really going to jeopardize our national security. And so, you know, Caroline Leavitt can talk all she wants about the constitutionality of this policy.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Rep. Dan Goldman is Fighting Back as Trump’s Plans Backfire
Oh, look, everybody's very scared. Not only is everybody scared, the uncertainty, the haphazard way, the whiplash creates a tremendous fear. And so even if the economy itself is actually better than one fears, the uncertainty drives companies to be conservative and either certainly not hire, maybe freeze, spend less money.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Gaetz Gets WORST NEWS of HIS LIFE…SECRET RULING Revealed
You do already see people speaking out. An attorney for two women who say Gates paid them for sex also said they provided the committee with numerous photos of time they spent with Gates. One woman testified that she witnessed having sex with a minor. Again, without the report, just does that information give you pause?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Trump’s Terrible Secrets from Past Covered Up by FBI?!!
Jeder Läufer kennt diesen Moment, wenn es einfach klickt. Wenn deine Beine einfach mitgehen, der Schmerz nachlässt, die Zweifel weg sind und du nur noch das Runners High spürst. Das ist der Grund, warum du so früh aufstehst. Warum dich ein bisschen Regen nicht auffällt. Warum Laufen zum Ritual wird. Also laufe und fühle das Runners High.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
But well, Ben, I just want to interrupt for a second there, because we can't wait until January of twenty twenty seven. And this corruption is beyond anything anyone has ever seen. It is so blatant. It is so brazen. There is no dispute that it is violating the Constitution and it is. It can't you can't dispute that it's violating the law, except with this completely phony rationale. And so.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
It's not just Democrats who are responsible for upholding the Constitution. It's Republicans, too. It's congressional Republicans who also take an oath to the Constitution, not to Donald Trump. And it is long past time that they stand up for their oath to the Constitution and call out Donald Trump's
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
blatant corruption it's not good enough to mumble in private that oh this is bad it's time they come out publicly and that they call him out and they do oversight that congress is responsible for doing so let's not say democrats will do this in 2027 that is far too long away far too far away for us to wait it is incumbent upon the republicans currently in the majority to do their damn job
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
do their job and conduct oversight over the president of the United States. Stop sucking up to him so much.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
Yeah, not expecting a whole lot, but appreciate you covering it. And let's keep on it because something is really fishy here.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
Well, as the letter says, and as you just recited, I think very well, there was a very aggressive move to release all of the Epstein files. And certainly you had right wing folks calling for it. You had Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who was all over this threat making threats, you know, confronting Congress.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
the Department of Justice, and then after the first batch of the Epstein files were released and everyone realized this is just public information that's already been out there, the Attorney General made it very clear to blame it on the FBI and to say, oh, well, that's what I got from the FBI, so it's the FBI's fault.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
She then demanded to have the FBI turn over all of the materials within 24 hours and And she wanted a comprehensive report within 14 days to explain what has transpired. Now, we haven't heard anything since that other than that one undercover comment that prompted her to say something similar publicly. And so the 24 hours goes by. The 14 days goes by. Congresswoman Luna now is quiet.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
Everything is very, very quiet, except when there's reporting that a bunch of agents and it sounds like it may have been dozens of special agents with the FBI and here in the New York field office were pulled off of their regular duties of investigating terrorism and fentanyl and corruption and securities fraud and everything that that field office does.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
in order to review around the clock the materials for redaction. Now, again, that's two and a half months ago, and we have not heard anything. And so there was a mad dash and a big rush to release everything, and everyone was talking about it. And now there's radio silence. And the begs the question, Why has the attorney general gone dark on this?
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
Why has Congresswoman Luna and others stopped calling for it? What is it that's in the Epstein files that they were so eager to have that now are just not being released, according to the attorney general's promises of transparency, but are Still there. And there's no explanation. And the concern I have, of course, is we know Donald Trump had a friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
We know Jeffrey Epstein had numerous numbers for Donald Trump. And the question then is, was this some sort of directive from Donald Trump or someone on his staff or an agent of his to the attorney general to kill this? And that would be yet another pretty egregious act of corruption using his position as president for his own personal benefit.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
Well, there are a couple of things that are important to remember. Child victims, minor victims or victims in general need to be redacted. And if there are a lot of videos, that is a more cumbersome process than just redacting out the name and social security number of somebody. So I don't mean to minimize the importance of these redactions and be the comprehensiveness of them.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
So it's possible it could be days or even weeks. And it sounded like from reporting and rumors that there were dozens of agents working very long hours to do this. And so if that is the case, it should not take two months to do it.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
What should not be redacted is any thing related to Jeffrey Epstein or his co-conspirators or any accomplices or anyone who was with him, any adults who may have wittingly or unwittingly been involved in whatever the conduct was. And that would include Donald Trump.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
So if they are trying to hide this, either by redacting Donald Trump's name or any videos in which he's in, or they're just trying to kill it and keep it secret, as they have done with volume two of Jack Smith's report on the classified document information, even though that investigation is completely over and there's no reason not to turn that over. This is their M.O.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
in the Department of Justice is to act as Donald Trump's personal lawyer to protect him from politically and personally. And so I am sensitive to the need for the redaction of victims and that that may take some time. But it certainly shouldn't take this much time.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
And if that were the case and they intended to release it, you would expect to have heard from the attorney general what the new timeline is and why it is. And of course, we haven't heard anything.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
Yeah, that was a great recitation of all of... what we would ordinarily called, I mean, circumstantial evidence, but some of it is direct evidence of Donald Trump's involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, including in ways that other co-conspirators were also identified by flight logs, by phone numbers, by videos, by comments. Right. This is exactly the type of thing that
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
You know, as a as a prosecutor, you would start looking for and then you would track down all of these different leads and speak to witnesses and try to get a fuller picture. And because there's so much smoke around here. and around Trump and Epstein. And Trump is notorious for saying one thing and doing another.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
As you may remember, Ben, when he said, oh, I would love to speak with special counsel Robert Mueller, I'd be happy to do it. And then he blamed his lawyers. It In the Mueller report is a systematic effort to avoid testifying, to refuse testifying, to delay testifying completely, completely different than what he said publicly.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
And so he has a pattern of saying publicly that he wants one thing while doing something very different privately. And it certainly falls right within his standard M.O. to do that in this case, because if it is revealed that he is involved in these materials in a greater degree than just his name on logs and phone numbers, that could be.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
Certainly embarrassing, but it also could give rise to questions about whether he was an accomplice or involved in Jeffrey Epstein's, you know, massive child trafficking scheme.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
Well, it's breathtaking corruption that just continues. A week after a $2 billion deal that his crypto company that he has significant personal interest in is made with the UAE and another company that had been involved in crypto money laundering and other criminal activity. It is really unprecedented. This just continues. This corruption continues to escalate and escalate.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
And, you know, it's bad, Ben, when Laura Loomer, the sort of wacky right wing conspiracy theorist who seems to have Donald Trump's ear, even calls it out. Even Laura Loomer has more of a spine than House Republicans in calling out this blatant corruption.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
As we were talking about Pam Bondi just a second ago, the thing that jumps out to me as well is that Pam Bondi ostensibly gave it her blessing to this deal, saying that it is not corruption because there's no associated official act with what is clearly a bribe. And it's not a foreign gift to Donald Trump because it's not doesn't go to him personally. This is such bogus. It is just garbage.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
And there is an office of legal counsel in the Department of Justice that is responsible for these types of legal memos that are binding on the executive branch. Pam Bondi has completely gutted that office of legal counsel and that office of legal counsel is an independent sort of lawyer for the executive branch that calls balls and strikes and says, yes, we can do this. No, we can't.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
They issue memos. Those memos are cited over and over and over. Decades later, they create sort of binding precedent on the executive branch. They're just ignoring all that. They're pretending as if that is not how the Department of Justice works and that Pam Bondi gets to make decisions about what is legal and what is illegal.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
Exclusive: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands DOJ Answers on Epstein Files
And by the way, the last thing on this, Ben, which I'm sure you know, is before she was attorney general, Pam Bondi was a paid lobbyist for the Qatar government.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
MeidasTouch Full Podcast - 5/2/25
Your bill will deport more kids who are American citizens with cancer. I don't think they want to answer that. The silence is deafening. It tells us everything we need. Would the gentleman yield? Yes.