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Truth in the Barrel

Ballots, Borders, and Bad Information... | Unfiltered

13 Feb 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

6.663 - 30.26 Amy McGrath

Hi, everyone. Welcome to Truth in the Barrel. We've got a great show for you guys today. Trump is trying to nationalize elections. ProPublica has a new report on ICE, a detention facility in Texas. And Cuba might be going the way of Venezuela. We are going to talk about all of this and more with my old partner in crime, Denver. Welcome back, my friend from overseas.

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30.981 - 34.206 Denver Riggleman

Thanks. It's great to be back. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

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Chapter 2: What are the implications of Trump's potential nationalization of elections?

34.658 - 40.712 Amy McGrath

Yeah. And you've been traveling quite a bit, not just Greenland, but also Europe, right?

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41.453 - 41.914 Denver Riggleman

Oh, yeah.

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Chapter 3: How is the current state of immigration detention facilities in the U.S. affecting children?

41.934 - 58.439 Denver Riggleman

I mean, we started in Iceland, went to Greenland where I was there four or five days where we were Sort of protesting. I was actually going into people's houses around Greenland, and we had an influencer there who hooked me up with that, meeting with all kinds of folks.

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58.539 - 80.154 Denver Riggleman

I got good play with the Danish ambassador, did all that stuff, and then went to Denmark, did the No Words March with the veterans of NATO conference. We had a crazy time. I don't have the words, Amy. Wow, it was so emotional. And I was marching with an 80-year-old Denmark veteran of NATO, and he's carrying a flag.

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Chapter 4: What are the dangers of misinformation in U.S. elections?

80.194 - 95.395 Denver Riggleman

And I'm like, let me help you. And he goes, no. So I did the whole march with him. But he looked at me, and I know it's crazy, but he seemed really emotional. And I said, are you okay, sir? And he goes, I knew that my American brothers would still march with me.

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96.691 - 130.68 Amy McGrath

Yeah. Well, you know, we're seeing that at the Olympics too. You know, people, Americans who are there with signs saying, you know, I'm sorry for what's going on. We will fix ourselves. I mean, and the reception that, you know, there seems to be a reception of the American public as, you know, we still are with you, America, but your leadership is... Shit. Well, let's get started.

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130.7 - 162.861 Amy McGrath

We have a lot to talk about. By all indications, the Trump administration is up for not so good showing here for the 2026 midterms nationwide, right? And that, I think, is the reason why there is all this talk of nationalizing elections. voting in 15 states. So,

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Chapter 5: How does the SAVE Act potentially disenfranchise voters?

163.465 - 171.555 Amy McGrath

15 states. He didn't say what states they would be. But, you know, Denver. Safe bet. It's probably going to be the swing states. Don't you think?

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171.675 - 188.336 Denver Riggleman

I think. You know what? Me and you are pretty smart. I think we can figure out the swing states. You know what's scary? People have been asking me. They're like, well, what do you talk about the end of federalism? Like, yeah, no shit, right? But it's also interesting what he didn't say. He didn't say the federal government was going to take over elections.

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188.376 - 193.224 Denver Riggleman

He said the Republicans, which should be – Amy, right? Isn't that a bit of a red flag?

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Chapter 6: What is the political situation in Cuba and its implications for U.S. foreign policy?

193.605 - 212.973 Denver Riggleman

Yeah. You know, to me it is. But, you know, I think as we're moving forward, what you're seeing with the Tulsi Gabbard at Fulton County, you're seeing the foreign election interference playbook happening just like it did in 2020 and 2021. especially with the executive orders like 13848. People can look it up.

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213.994 - 223.723 Denver Riggleman

You know, we don't talk about my book much on here, but I did sort of write about it in a prophetic way using data that this is the same thing that they're going to do in the future, and they are.

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223.843 - 236.335 Denver Riggleman

And that's what scares me, is they're going to use foreign interference conspiracy theories to invoke executive orders to seize voting machines or to disenfranchise voters in the specific swing districts and states.

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236.973 - 253.53 Amy McGrath

Let's talk about a few of these things. So Steve Bannon, who's like the president's henchman, has called for ICE. That's like, you know, the president's new shock troop force, federal agents, to surround polling places on Election Day. Okay. Yeah. And then there's that.

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253.871 - 283.492 Amy McGrath

Then the next day, he said that President Trump should or has to nationalize the election and not only put ICE, but also the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and invoke the Insurrection Act to take over voting. I mean... You can say, OK, that's really extreme and it's just Steve Bannon. But, you know, they're doing things that are moving in that direction.

284.634 - 292.405 Amy McGrath

And I want to just take a step back and remind everybody there is this thing and I brought it with me. This is my pocket constitution. I have many of them.

Chapter 7: How does the U.S. response to Cuba compare to its actions in Venezuela?

292.445 - 326.287 Amy McGrath

I'm kind of a geek that way. In our Constitution, it says, and I'll bring it up here, Article 1, Section 4, okay, Clause 1, the times, places, and manner of holding elections shall be prescribed in each state. Okay, by the states. The states control the times, manner, and elections. So if you're trying to change that, like the SAVE Act, that's unconstitutional.

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327.149 - 351.945 Denver Riggleman

Yeah, I mean there's – if you keep reading, I know what they're going to do though, right? Clarence Thomas was a big pusher of the states having complete – immunity from any action against how they choose electors, which came up with the alternate electors conspiracy theories, or the alternate electors being chosen because of conspiracy theories. The flip to that

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352.128 - 371.472 Denver Riggleman

And what's crazy about this is that we don't know if the Supreme Court, if it's constituted, would say, hey, the second part of that constitutional phrase says that unless there's really, really bad things happening, which that is a hell of a paraphrase right there. Really, really bad. But it really is the end of federalism if we do that.

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371.632 - 390.582 Denver Riggleman

And I think it's interesting to me that those who talk about states' rights and who pushed all the way to where alternate electors should be allowed, which would have been a stolen election – are now on the side of nationalism and, you know, nationalizing the electrics and the end of federalism. Wow. And I think you're right.

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391.083 - 402.618 Denver Riggleman

And by the way, did you get goosebumps a little bit, Amy, when you saw the Insurrection Act being talked about and the 82nd and 101st being deployed? Does that seem a little familiar to you and something that? Yeah. Oh, my God, Amy.

Chapter 8: What are the consequences of using ICE and military around polling places?

402.658 - 406.824 Amy McGrath

That's exactly. The tabletop exercises that we did in the summer of 2024. Yes.

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406.864 - 409.147 Denver Riggleman

Exactly what we had predicted.

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409.823 - 412.728 Denver Riggleman

That's where we became friends, right?

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412.748 - 436.968 Amy McGrath

What's happening right now, Denver, with the SAVE Act is part of this effort. And I wanted to discuss this with you because I don't know how you feel about this particular act or, you know, they frame it under the frame of voter ID. You know, everybody, all Americans think we should have a voter ID. Right. And you know what?

437.649 - 448.123 Amy McGrath

We could table that because I actually am not opposed to voter IDs as long as the government pays for them. Because if you don't, then it's just a poll tax, right?

448.183 - 449.264 Denver Riggleman

That's exactly what it is.

449.284 - 473.969 Amy McGrath

But the SAVE Act is bigger than that because it would, for example, really disenfranchise women who have changed their names. Or maybe women who have changed their names and then got a divorce and changed their names back. People who have lost their birth certificates. How about the fact that this idea of no mail-in voting? I mean, you and I were in the military.

474.089 - 501.137 Amy McGrath

Like, you're disenfranchising millions of... of Americans who are deployed and their families and their spouses? How about truck drivers? How about airline pilots? People that can't go to the polls on election day between the hours of 8 and 6 p.m. And so, you know, this is why somebody like Lisa Murkowski, Republican senator from Alaska, said, I'm not for this. Why? Think about Alaska.

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