Let's talk about Trump's FEMA rhetoric falling apart....

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Belle of the Ranch 4 min 2 speakers 6 chapters transcribed

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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Beau of The Fifth Column 0:01

Well, howdy there internet people, it's Belle again. So today, we're going to talk about Trump, FEMA, reality, and blame.

What are Trump's quotes regarding FEMA and their implications?

Beau of The Fifth Column 0:11

I'm going to start off with a series of Trump quotes that are going to become very, very important as Trump primes his followers to reject their own beliefs so he can get away with his spin. Quote, I think we're going to recommend that FEMA go away. Next is, we want to wean off of FEMA. Also, the FEMA thing has not been a very successful experiment.

Why is Trump's involvement with FEMA significant now?

Beau of The Fifth Column 0:41

In fact, reporting says Trump planned to have FEMA phased out by December of 2025, two months ago. So why does this matter now? A Maryland sewer line broke and dumped hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage into the Potomac. Trump posted to social media that he was directing the feds to get involved.

What happened with the Maryland sewer line and how did Trump respond?

Beau of The Fifth Column 1:05

Quote, Trump indicated FEMA would be key to this process.

Unknown 1:29

Cool. River cleanup is a good thing. I am all for him helping to remediate the river. But it's a little late to protect the Potomac.

Beau of The Fifth Column 1:40

Because the spill happened on the 19th, and the bypass was installed by DC Water on the 24th. I know. You're saying, but Belle, it's only the 17th. How can that be? You've got your dates wrong.

How has Trump's rhetoric around FEMA evolved over time?

Beau of The Fifth Column 1:55

The 19th of last month. It happened the 19th of last month. As Trump trashes the governor's office in Maryland, remember, it took him a month to show up. There is no major spillage currently occurring by all reports, but you should stay out of the Potomac for now. A spokesperson for Governor Wes Moore, who Trump has repeatedly attacked, said, quote, If the federal government is just now showing up to take action, we will work collaboratively, as we always do, to be responsive and keep the public informed about the federal government's plan to remediate the damage. Okay, so why did Trump decide to get involved now and not earlier? Because DHS wasn't shut down before. FEMA, which is currently being defunded by the Democrats, will play a key role in coordinating the response.

Beau of The Fifth Column 3:12

And there it is.

What are the potential political consequences of Trump's actions regarding FEMA?

Beau of The Fifth Column 3:14

I'll put a link below to when we talked about why Democrats gave DHS two weeks of funding. In it, we talked about how Trump would use any disaster during a DHS shutdown as a political weapon. And I specifically mentioned FEMA. One of you told me, quote, Bell, even Trump supporters aren't dumb enough to fall for him trying to play like he wants funding for an agency he said he'd shut down. Trump using FEMA as a political cudgel is a non-starter. Even his base isn't that dumb. They don't even like FEMA. You're barking up the wrong tree on this one. I guess we'll see. I do have to admit, I didn't see him blaming Democrats for a problem that occurred before the shutdown. My question is, why Trump didn't respond before the shutdown?

Beau of The Fifth Column 4:12

Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.

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