Rachel Maddow

The Economist reporting tonight that among the things Doge left behind was apparently a bunch of marijuana. Again, left behind when Doge finally got out. George Foote is outside general counsel for the U.S. Institute of Peace. Mr. Foote, thank you very much for being here with us tonight. Congratulations on getting your building back. I'm sorry to hear about the state in which you are receiving it.

Is the U.S. Institute of Peace able to stand itself back up, given the extent to which Doge tried to destroy both the, not just the assets of the agency, but also its records?

Is the U.S. Institute of Peace able to stand itself back up, given the extent to which Doge tried to destroy both the, not just the assets of the agency, but also its records?

What about the Institute's employees? The Trump administration purported to fire them. It seemed illegal from the outset when they tried, but they insisted. A federal judge now says that was illegal. Does that mean that everybody gets to come back to work now? Is everybody reinstated?

What about the Institute's employees? The Trump administration purported to fire them. It seemed illegal from the outset when they tried, but they insisted. A federal judge now says that was illegal. Does that mean that everybody gets to come back to work now? Is everybody reinstated?

Mr. Foote, when we first started covering this story, I really hoped that this kind of interview would be the end of our coverage, that things were back and that you'd been able to bounce back. I'm happy to hear what you've had to say tonight. Stay in touch with us. We'd love to stay in touch as this continues to proceed.

Mr. Foote, when we first started covering this story, I really hoped that this kind of interview would be the end of our coverage, that things were back and that you'd been able to bounce back. I'm happy to hear what you've had to say tonight. Stay in touch with us. We'd love to stay in touch as this continues to proceed.

George Foote is outside general counsel for the U.S. Institute of Peace, which is back. We'll be right back. All right, that's going to do it for me tonight. In the meantime, you can find me on Blue Sky, where I'm back to my obsessive postings. I'm on blueskyatmatto.msnbc.com. You can find me there way too many hours of the day.

George Foote is outside general counsel for the U.S. Institute of Peace, which is back. We'll be right back. All right, that's going to do it for me tonight. In the meantime, you can find me on Blue Sky, where I'm back to my obsessive postings. I'm on blueskyatmatto.msnbc.com. You can find me there way too many hours of the day.

A friend sent me a meme the other day. It was like a Paddington meme, and the caption was, born to dilly-dally, forced to fight fascists.

A friend sent me a meme the other day. It was like a Paddington meme, and the caption was, born to dilly-dally, forced to fight fascists.

Well, I mean, we're all trying to do a version of the same thing. But I feel like the thing that has been helpful for me in talking to you through this whole process is... It's just kind of a reminder that we've been talking about and worrying about the edge of the cliff. for so long. But then it turns out time is linear and it goes forward and that interacts with that other metaphor.

Well, I mean, we're all trying to do a version of the same thing. But I feel like the thing that has been helpful for me in talking to you through this whole process is... It's just kind of a reminder that we've been talking about and worrying about the edge of the cliff. for so long. But then it turns out time is linear and it goes forward and that interacts with that other metaphor.

And as time goes forward, we did get closer to the edge of the cliff and we have now gone off the cliff and it turns out time is still linear and still goes forward and the sun still rises and you still have to do stuff. And so now we have experienced what the edge of the cliff is like. And what it's like to be in midair. And we are now in the canyon on the other side of the cliff.

And as time goes forward, we did get closer to the edge of the cliff and we have now gone off the cliff and it turns out time is still linear and still goes forward and the sun still rises and you still have to do stuff. And so now we have experienced what the edge of the cliff is like. And what it's like to be in midair. And we are now in the canyon on the other side of the cliff.

And we are seeing what life is like there. And it's just, you know, I am your friend who sends you weird country music songs. This is like a Robert Earl Keene moment for us, like the road goes on forever and the party never ends. It turns out. Like in the middle of a fascist takeover, what happens is there's a fascist takeover and you have to keep still doing the work.

And we are seeing what life is like there. And it's just, you know, I am your friend who sends you weird country music songs. This is like a Robert Earl Keene moment for us, like the road goes on forever and the party never ends. It turns out. Like in the middle of a fascist takeover, what happens is there's a fascist takeover and you have to keep still doing the work.

Then you are a person who's fighting an existing fascist authoritarian government and not just warning about it and trying to avert it from happening. Like you just you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. There isn't this isn't a play. This isn't a movie. This is our lives. And as long as we're here, we have stuff to do.

Then you are a person who's fighting an existing fascist authoritarian government and not just warning about it and trying to avert it from happening. Like you just you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. There isn't this isn't a play. This isn't a movie. This is our lives. And as long as we're here, we have stuff to do.

Oh, yeah. I think one of the reasons that I often use the term strongman to describe him is I think he'd probably call himself a strongman, too. Yeah.