11/18/25: Foreclosures Surge, Epstein Scandal Explodes, Trump Latino Support Plummets

24:08Republicans increasingly blamed for poor economic conditions. We can put a six up on the screen. And this is an area where Republicans traditionally have an advantage on the economy. Trump specifically has had a major advantage on the economy. That's been his consistent strength up until this term. And now, according to this NRCC pollster, so this is a Republican pollster, for the first time in two years, voters whose top priority is inflation and the economy now prefer a generic Democrat for Congress by 13 points over a Republican. And I'm not sure if it was by this pollster or a separate one.

24:44They pulled specifically on, OK, who do you blame for health care price increases? Overwhelmingly, people said the GOP. Who do you blame for electric bill increases? Overwhelmingly, people said the GOP. So if you want to know why the election was so incredibly lopsided this year and why, you know, I think Republicans are headed for yet another significant reckoning in the midterm elections, you'd be hard pressed to find a better explanation than this one. Yeah, no, I mean, the economy, look, people always blame the party in power. That's why Biden was blamed for four years. And as I said four years ago, almost to the day, you have to be a peer as if you're doing something about it, as if you care about it.

25:21And instead, you know, you're blocked. That's why the Epstein thing is important because you're blocking that while also seemingly not doing much for me and obsessing over your own personal quest to get the Nobel Peace Prize because you've ended 90 wars now or whatever at this point, right? The Democratic Republic of the country. Everyone is celebrating, of course, the end of the potential end or whatever of that conflict. But that stuff, the narcissism and all of that, people can deal with a lot as long as their economy is doing well. The classic bumper sticker of the Trump era or the Biden era was could you use some mean tweets right now as long as the gas was$2.

26:01And it's like, well, the whole point beyond that is I don't care about the personal conduct or whatever as long as things are going well in my life. And it's like, well, if things aren't going well in your life, well, then that stuff actually all really does start to matter. That seems to be the overall endpoint for a lot of this. And look, I don't know. I mean, you don't want to read too much into single-day movements, but there's just been like slow kind of movements in the S &P 500. There was one yesterday. Futures are down this morning. Futures are down again this morning. We're not, you know, things can change literally on a dime here.

26:33But Federal Reserve doesn't look like it's going to step in and do anything drastic anytime soon, right? So things generally seem to be in stasis for now. And stasis is trending in a down direction. If you look at house balance sheet, housing, and more, nobody is planning anything radically to save you. In fact, they're probably planning something radical in the opposite direction, which I'll get to in property tax bit. Like, if anything, the people who are at the top in the status quo are doing everything they possibly can to preserve said status quo. And in a way, I think they are girding themselves for a potential crash to insulate them from any potential chaos and make it so that the younger people and the new generation will not only bear the entire brunt, but will be the ones who are totally screwed while they're completely safe.

27:20I mean, it's when you think about the AI aspect, it's much worse than the status quo because they're actively planning and celebrating feeding you to the wolves. I mean, that's what Kevin, Kevin Hassett is saying. It's like, oh, it's great that these, they don't have to hire these kids out of college anymore. That's, that's great. It's improved productivity. That is their goal. Like, their goal is to make it so that you are irrelevant. Your labor is irrelevant. Like, forget about chief labor. They want no labor. They want, you know, to hand as much off to the robots as they possibly can. That's their goal.

27:50That's the stated goal of all of these tech executives. That's, you know, when you ask yourself the question, okay, this trillion dollar, you know, spend that OpenAI has planned and these other companies, you know, somewhere similar ballpark figures as well. How are they going to make that money? It's not going to come from you and me signing up for a chat GPT subscription. No, it's going to come from giant companies who are willing to pay large sums of money to get rid of you, to get rid of your labor. That is what they're betting on. And that's what this administration has gone whole hog behind.

28:24This is a central driving force, if not the driving force of this administration. That's why these guys gave Trump so much money. That's why they did so much for him for his election. You know, they're also sort of directly involved in the mass amount of wealth that he's accumulated through his crypto scam. Like, this is the play. And so, you know, when Kevin Hassett comes out and is openly celebrating and justifying significant layoffs and lack of hiring because of AI development, everyone needs to pay attention to what their actual goals are and the way that they are using policy and executive orders and funding and financing and relationships to build this whole thing out.

29:02And thank you for the flag about that they're trying to do this thing again of states can't regulate AI, which is absolutely insane. And everybody needs to be screaming the rooftops about this. That's why I'm not I'm not exactly sold on the master plan because I don't think it is. I genuinely think it is a absolute alliance of convenience and of stupidity. Republicans are dumb and they like money. Right. And they want job creators or whatever. Now, Elon and all the rest of these people, no question. OK, of course, they're sucking up to Trump to try and get as much out of it. A lot of it is to try to hold off regulation and basically to convince them that they're the single driving engine of the economy.

29:38And I think that is true. It also aligns with their overall posture towards deregulation itself because that's something built into the Republican psyche. What they mostly want is to be left alone. I think that's bad. I mean especially Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg and Dario. I mean Dario, he just goes on TV and he's like none of you are going to be working in five years. And everyone's just supposed to accept that as like, oh, OK, got it. Right. I mean, they genuinely act as if they're going to face no consequences. And so, yeah, I mean, I just think clear. I don't think Trump gives a shit about any of it at all.

30:13Like he cares about the stock market. Exactly. But, you know, I think he wanted to stay on prison and get back in the White House. Yeah. And these guys were willing to throw tons of cash at him. and he's checked out of this administration, handed off significant chunks of it to other aides, whether it's, you know, Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio or whoever. And so, yeah, I'm not saying like that he's a devoted AI acolyte. I don't think he gives a shit, but I think he's turned this whole part of his administration over to these tech oligarchs and basically sold his presidency, this aspect of his presidency to them, and they're going to get whatever they want from him.

30:49I mean, the H-1B conversation is like fits in that, right? And you flagged it at the time when he went on the All In podcast during the campaign and was like, I'm going to staple the visa to the diploma. And you were like, what? How does this fit with the other things that he said? Now, listen, you guys, you know I'm pro-immigrant. I am also pro-major reform of the H-1B program, which is genuinely exploitative and undercuts, does undercut native tech workers as well. So for him to come out now and be like, I want 600 ,000 Chinese students in our universities. And he's still pro-H-1B. And I'm still pro H1B.

31:25Ask yourself the question, why are these two things so dissonant from the other things that he said on the campaign trail? And it's because it's what these tech oligarchs want. He's going to do whatever it is that they want. He sold this part of his presidency to him, to them. To me, that's just like abundantly clear. And those answers to Laura Ingraham are just one example, one small but significant example of the way that he has outsourced this whole part of his presidency, which is unbelievably important to literally all of us, to the worst people in the world. Yeah, I mean, well, they seem uncowed and they definitely seem to have a lot of power, which is part of the problem.

32:05Welcome to the A-Building. I'm Hans Charles. I'm Menelik Lumumba. It's 1969. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. had both been assassinated, and Black America was at a breaking point. Writing and protests broke out on an unprecedented scale. In Atlanta, Georgia, at Martin's alma mater, Morehouse College, the students had their own protest. It featured two prominent figures in Black history, Martin Luther King Sr. and a young student, Samuel L. Jackson. To be in what we really thought was a revolution. I mean, people were dying. 1968, the murder of Dr. King, which traumatized everyone. The FBI had a role in the murder of a Black Panther leader in Chicago.

32:51This story is about protest. It echoes in today's world far more than it should. And it will blow your mind. Listen to The A-Building on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts I'm Bowen Yang and I'm Matt Rogers during this season of the Two Guys Five Rings podcast in the lead up to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games we've been joined by some of our friends Hi Bowen, hi Matt Hey Elmo Hey Matt, hey Bowen Hi Cookie Now the Winter Olympic Games are underway and we are in Italy to give you experiences from our hearts to your ears Listen to Two Guys, Five Rings on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

34:00And we go deeper than the polished story. We talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope. We get honest about the big stuff. Identity when you don't recognize yourself anymore. Loss that changes you. Purpose when success isn't enough. Peace when your mind won't slow down. Faith when it's complicated. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to If You Can Hear Me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

34:41Speaking of worst people in the world, what's going on with Larry Summers? So Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary, who has been basically at the scene of every great economic crime in our recent past, whether it's the bank balance, whether it's NAFTA, you could go on and on with him, continues to have tons of influence for unknowable reasons within the Democratic Party and was part of this Center for American Progress push to create their own. You know, they were like, oh, the Republicans did Project 2025. We're going to do Project 2029. So he was very influential part of this development within Center for American Progress of the economic plank of Project 2029, which is terrible.

35:19And it's part of the centrists and the corporatists trying to keep a hold on the Democratic Party, even as the base revolts against them. And Zoran Mabdani is the most popular figure in the Democratic Party. So lo and behold, this isn't a big surprise. We knew Larry Summers had a significant relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which he had apologized for in the past. But this man is all over the Epstein emails that just came out. One of the central characters. Trump has mentioned a lot more, but Larry Summers is mentioned a lot. And we have direct emails, unlike with Trump, we have direct emails between Larry Summers and Jeffrey Epstein that come out of this.

35:54And they, I'll show you some of them. They're pretty wild. The sort, he was getting like relationship advice to chase after some lady while he's married, by the way, from Jeffrey freaking Epstein and was messaging with him right up until he is put in literal prison. So very deep relationship with him. Okay. So after all of this came out, there's a bunch of public pressure and he is now, as of yesterday afternoon or evening, could be one up on the screen. He has now announced that he is going to step back from all public commitments in light of those messages that were revealed with Epstein saying he is deeply ashamed and hopes to, quote, rebuild trust and repair relationships.

36:36He will, however, continue teaching at Harvard. Let's put the next piece up on the screen. American Prospect has been doing some fantastic reporting here. I have to think that some of the pressure that came from Daniel Boguslaw here at American Prospect and others. Ryan also highlighting his emails and also some Chinese government official connections. I'll get to that in a moment. But they talk here about the way he was guiding this project at the Center for American Progress. So according to people with knowledge of the arrangement, one of the leads on the economic policy plank for the Project 2029 project is Harvard professor and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who has now been exposed is regularly exchanging emails about his personal life with notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

37:18Officially, Summers has the title of distinguished senior fellow at CAP. All three sources confirm CAP is compiling a policy blueprint in the event of a Democratic presidential victory in the next election. Summers had taken a leadership role in advising the project's economic policy arm, too, the sources said. They also said Summers was the final sign-off on a CAP housing policy paper set to be released next week. And they have, Cap has now confirmed that as part of his announcement that he will be stepping back, sorry, from public commitments, he is also stepping back, will no longer be involved with Center for American Progress and presumably this policy project.

37:54Yeah, but I think what's important to note about Summers is, first of all, you know, this whole I'm deeply ashamed. It's like, you're really deeply ashamed because he got caught, okay? You know, and in terms of his – look, you could already have judged him on his policy record in the Clinton White House or anywhere else as the Harvard University president. Like he clearly had a long relationship there with Epstein. But what's really disgusting is the way – look, remember, this is all post-sex offender conviction, number one. Number two, in terms of Larry, his own wife is apparently sending Epstein recommendations for books, including Lolita, all right?

38:35Which, if you'll remember, he actually was found with a first edition copy of Lolita, which is, I mean, disgusting. Yeah, if you don't know what it is, Google it, okay? And it's one of those where inside of this, you know, piece about his lecherous behavior and luring this woman and kind of looking to Epstein as like this wingman, literally. That's the way that they describe it. You're like, this is so repulsive. And I saw a very interesting piece in The Wrap, actually, where a columnist was coming to grips with the fact, she was like, you know, I've long been an insider. And every Thanksgiving, I am confronted with a relative who believes that the world is run by a global pedophile elite.

39:20and she's like, now it's painful to admit that they were cracking at your book. I'm like, yeah, it's true. I mean, look, I'm a cynical guy. I've lived here for a long time. You hear stories, you know, about things and all of that. Even not, like when you really read the birthday book, it's shocking, like it's shocking to see some of the world's richest, most powerful men, including our current president, past president, so it's like, oh, Jeffrey. I mean, Trump, wonderful secret, the check thing about the girlfriend, the drawings and cartoons. The intentionally childlike drawings. That probably freaked me out more than anything.

39:56And remember that I still haven't been able to track that guy down. I've been looking for him. The guy with the child drawing where it looked like literally some eyes wide shut pianist type thing. I'm telling you, I tried for days to actually find the guy who drew that. I think he lives in Spain, but completely unable to find. The fact that he hasn't come out at this point is kind of weird in my opinion. It was a small child at the time that that drawing was done. You'll recall, you know, some of the emails that I was reading recently, Epstein replied to somebody and was like, please send a picture of you and your child always puts a smile on my face.

40:29Weird. Weird. All right. Weird. It's one of those where you look at their own like winking, nodding behavior. Not to mention, I mean, remember the birthday book. They literally were making rape jokes in there. They're like rape fantasies about wearing masks while they're holding guns and knives, about going out and like just finding someone to violently rape them. Like this is the stuff they joked about. So like if you're joking about that, what's actually happening? I mean behind the scenes and from a very, very young age. So the fact is, is Larry Summers was a part of that. And what we always try to say is like, yeah, the whole point of the Epstein story is it ain't just Summers.

41:09It's Leon Black. It's Les Wexner. It's Trump. It's Bill Clinton. It's Bill Gates. It's the Nobel Peace Prize People. It's a bunch of Israeli former prime ministers. It's one anyway. No, no, no, no. It's four that he has known connections to. Yeah. In terms of, you know, potential lecherous behavior, you're right. But in terms of having direct connection to, we have at least some mentions of four separate Israeli prime ministers that he's had a connection to. Mongolia's president, Cote d 'Ivoire, the daughter there of the leader. I mean, this is paints a picture, which is, I mean, it's eyes wide shut, literally.

41:46Like it is a actual representation of a, look, at the end of the day, what do people always say? Like absolute power corrupts absolutely. And so we already know that people who are filthy rich live a very different live from all of us. In fact, just yesterday, I'm one of those suckers for one of those Wall Street Journal stories, which is like how the ultra rich are living in luxury. And it's like these super rich Miami real estate developers just invite a Wall Street Journal reporter along with them to brag about their private dinner clubs and their jet setting lifestyle. And I was like, wow, people not only have no shame, but it's one of those where you're like openly bragging about how the richer that you are, how pleasant it is to get away from as many peasants as possible.

42:31I mean, they're like, say this shit out in the open. I mean, they say it in a more polite way, obviously. It's like, oh, well, real luxury is not, whatever. My point is just, like, they, everybody's, it's almost just like out in the open now at that point. And, I mean, that's why I think the Epstein story matters. It's because it just shows that they transcend a level above where not even normal, but like normal-ish people are. And they act with a totally different set of rules. And that set of rules corrupts at the soul level, at the financial level, at the government level. And those are the people broadly who are in charge of the world's riches and of the world's governments.

43:12I think we should all grapple with that. Yeah. I think having a bunch of billionaires is inconsistent with democracy. I think it does, like you said, corrupt you on like a deep foundational level where, yeah, you just don't see yourself as part of this sea of humanity. And there's also this level of decadence and boredom that seems to come where it's just like, you know, you're just looking for more and more elaborate displays of like wealth or opulence or, you know, decadence in other ways. with Larry Summers in particular, I really want people to, I don't know if people, how much you know about this man, but he's sort of the ultimate Washington, like serious thinker, you know?

43:55Very highly esteemed. Harvard, obviously, has advised multiple presidents. He's always consulted. Trump still would, you know, I mean, Biden still was talking to him. Obviously, even now, even before these emails came out, we knew about this relationship with Epstein, but Center for American Progress is still bringing him in for their economic policy plank. Like he's seen as the ultimate like serious economic thinker, especially in democratic circles. And so, you know, to have these emails revealed, which are disgusting, let's put the next Harvard Crimson tear sheet up on the screen, which details some of them.

44:32So a somersault clandestine relationship with woman he called a mentee. Epstein was his quote wingman. And Sagar used that terminology. Like that's how they referred to it. Right. That's not our characterization. That was how they refer to this relationship. And so I'll read you a little bit of this. They say in a sequence of texts and emails between November 2018 and July 5th, 2019, what happens in July of 2019, Sagar? Yeah. Epstein goes to prison. So he's emailing this man right up until he goes to prison. Summers turned to Epstein for advice on his pursuit of this woman who he described as a mentee.

45:07Epstein was quick to chime in with assurances and suggestions describing himself in one November 2018 message as Summers' wingman. Then explains how they became public. Summers' correspondence with Epstein, a financier who pled guilty to soliciting prostitution for a minor in 2008, ends just one day before Epstein was arrested on new sex trafficking charges. Together, the messages show Summers placing extraordinary degree of trust in Epstein, asking him for help in navigating a relationship that blurred the boundaries of his professional and personal lives. Again, by the way, Larry Summers married during this entire time.

45:42Summers, who was married since 2005, told Epstein he thought the woman was reluctant to leave him because she valued his professional connections. Epstein told him in one June 2019 text, she is doomed to be with you. Think for now I'm going nowhere with her except at the economics mentor. Summers wrote, I think I'm right now in the scene very warmly in rear view mirror category. She must be very confused or maybe wants to cut me off, but wants professional connection a lot and so holds to it, Summers wrote in a March 2019 exchange, explaining why he believed she continued to engage with him despite tensions, which, listen, is also disgusting that he knows she doesn't really want to be with him romantically, but he has this powerful position and sort of hold on her.

46:27So he's using that to maintain the sexual relationship, even though what she really wants is actually just the mentee relationship, is disgusting. Like, that's what he's acknowledging. Yeah, that's gross. In these emails to Epstein, it's like, that's the hold that he has on her, and that's what he's gonna exploit to keep her close. It's like a, I mean, it's like a parody of Me Too, you know? It's one of those where it's like the, you bring together power. The power dynamic, yeah. Yeah, right, I mean, God, like, and look, you know, it was a critic and stuff of Me Too, but like, some of these people are real.

46:57Like, some of these creeps, it started for a reason. I have no other way really to describe it. Put some of the emails. Let's go to B4 just to show everybody. Let's put it up here on the screen. Again, March of 2019. He says, we talked on the phone. Then I can't talk later. Didn't think I can talk tomorrow. I said, what are you up to? She said, I'm busy. I said, awfully cool you are. Then I said, did you really rearrange the weekend we were going to be together because guy number three was coming? She said, no. His schedule changed after we changed our plans. I said, okay, call me when you feel like a tone was not a good feeling.

47:29I didn't want to be in a gift-giving competition while being friends without benefits. This is Larry in March 2019. How old is he at this point? Like 60-something? Epstein, she's smart, making you pay for past errors. Ignore the daddy. I'm going to go out with motorcycle guy. You reacted well, dot, dot, dot. Annoyed shows caring. No whining showed strength. I mean, yeah, like this is literally like, I don't know. It's like teenage behavior, which weird even at that point, But these are 60-year-old men who are ultra-rich who are also, in Larry Summers' case, literally married. I mean, I have no idea how he can ever show his face in public ever again.

48:07Let's go to the next one, shall we, in terms of the emails. Same thing. You know, this was from Larry Summers to this woman who he was wooing. He said, I wanted to show how grateful I am and have been for your support, also for the support of my father's work. This is what she's saying. I don't say these things often, but I hope it implies – you know. It's one of those where he is exploiting this relationship and his own past relationship with her father to try to woo this girl. I mean, this woman, right, at the time. I just think it's really sick. So this is the woman that it appears the messages were about.

48:41And so he had this mentee relationship with her. But in addition, her dad is a CCP official. So, you know, I mean, there's just all sorts of layers of morally, professionally inappropriate. I mean, it's it's gross. And then the fact that this man is still was up until this moment so trusted by so many people in power here in D.C. is extraordinary. I can put B6 up on the screen here from Zed Jelani. This was the original. He's deeply ashamed after new Epstein emails and will pause public engagement. So there you go. that's the tale of Larry Summers here but you know he's just emblematic of so many and you know the fact that Epstein had these close relationships with people like him who are held in such high esteem by so many elites and look to for guidance and wisdom and serious person blah blah blah is part of how he was able to maintain all of his you know his wealth and his connections and his banking relationships this is one one piece because he would, people would, he would use the fact that like, oh, well, Larry Summers trusts me.

49:52Well, Bill Gates trusts me. Well, Elon Musk trusts me. So why, why wouldn't you? Um, and the fact that they all had this cone of silence around it is how it would perpetuate it for so, so. And they had no moral standards. I mean, again, even, even if somebody was like, hey man, you know, so-and-so he's a good guy. I'm like, yeah, maybe. Uh, and then you do a Google search and you see a conviction for, I'm like, yeah, I'm good. You know, it's like, it'd be one of those where I'd be like, do you know about this? And if they're like, oh, yeah, but, you know, he said she actually was, you know, she looked 18 or something.

50:24I'd be like, oh, bro, like this is not happening. And even if so, yeah, they let to downplay Alan Dershowitz still out there down playing it like, oh, you know, the girl was she was 17. It's just one. They were so harsh on him, blah, blah, blah. But this these emails, again, leading up until literally he's arrested day before he's arrested um and and put in prison they this was after julie k brown yeah i know had done all of her reporting for the miami herald about how no there were dozens of girls were talking down to what the youngest was like 13 so he got this slap on the wrist totally rigged and inappropriate literally illegal sweetheart deal he all of that is in the public domain so even if larry summers wanted to be tricked by epstein's you know oh well it was just you know I hired a prostitute once and I didn't know that she wasn't 18, whatever, which is still disgusting, right?

51:15But even if you, you know, wanted to buy that at this point in time, all every it's, it's all out there. I mean, we have learned more over the years, but the, the general shape and the web of how disgusting this was, was out in the public record. And he was still seeking relationship advice for his affair from this man. Yeah. Just grotesque. But, yeah, again, I mean, they live in a different world than the rest of us, I guess. I don't really have another word for it. Welcome to the A-Building. I'm Hans Charles. I'm Menelik Lumumba. It's 1969. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. have both been assassinated.

51:54And Black America was at a breaking point. Rioting and protests broke out on an unprecedented scale. In Atlanta, Georgia, at Martin's Almormata, Morehouse College, the students had their own protest. It featured two prominent figures in Black history, Martin Luther King Sr. and a young student, Samuel L. Jackson. To be in what we really thought was a revolution, I mean, people were dying. 1968, the murder of Dr. King, which traumatized everyone. The FBI had a role in the murder of a Black Panther leader in Chicago. This story is about protest. It echoes in today's world far more than it should.

52:35and it will blow your mind. Listen to The A-Building on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Bowen Yang. And I'm Matt Rogers. During this season of the Two Guys Five Rings podcast, in the lead-up to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, we've been joined by some of our friends. Hi, Bowen. Hi, Matt. Hey, Elmo. Hey, Matt. Hey, Bowen. Hi, Cookie. Hi. Now, the Winter Olympic Games are underway, and we are in Italy to give you experiences from our hearts to your ears. Listen to Two Guys, Five Rings on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

53:22What do you do when the headlines don't explain what's happening inside of you? I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me, it's where culture meets the soul. a place for real conversation. Each episode, I sit down with people from all walks of life, celebrities, thinkers, and everyday folks, and we go deeper than the polished story. We talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope. We get honest about the big stuff, identity when you don't recognize yourself anymore, loss that changes you, purpose when success isn't enough, peace when your mind won't slow down, faith when it's complicated.

54:00Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to If You Can Hear Me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

54:20So we have a bunch of updates for you with regard to Trump's ICE deployments across the country. but wanted to start actually with a polling update. Of course, Trump and the Republicans took a lot of pride in the gains that they made with Latino voters, particularly in this election cycle, have really pinned a lot, actually staked a lot on this realignment of working class Latino voters towards Republicans. Let's check in on how that's going. Latinos on Trump and immigration. You know, back a year ago, what did we see on the issue of immigration? Latino voters trusted Kamala Harris more than Donald Trump, but by just two points, one, two.

54:53Look now at Donald Trump's net approval rating. on immigration among Latinos. He is 38 points underwater. That is a 36-point shift, essentially, from where we were a year ago on immigration. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are basically tied on the issue of immigration, and now on the issue of immigration, Latinos despise, hate Donald Trump. Trump's not approving among Latinos. In early February, again, he was just two points underwater. Look at where he is now. Late October, minus 34 points. 34 points underwater. A shift of 32 points over the course of this year. I should point out this is the CBS News you got, Paul.

55:31But I was looking at the average of polls. I was looking at our own poll. Very similar shift. 20, 25, 30 point shifts on the net approval rating away from Donald Trump among Latinos overall. What did we learn from the 2025 elections? I took the highest Latino percentage area in both New Jersey and Virginia. New Jersey, it was Union City. Look at this. 2024 president, the 2025 governor shift. There was a 52. I'm laughing because you never see any numbers like this. A 52 point shift towards Mikey Sherrill from how Kamala Harris did on the margin. Mikey Sherrill ran away with this. Kamala Harris did win that vote, but by a small margin.

56:09Mikey Sherrill did 52 points better. How about in Virginia, Manassas Park? Look at that. A 22 point shift towards Abigail Spanberger from how Kamala Harris did back in 2024. We saw huge Latino shifts in both New Jersey and Virginia. And I think, Sagar, that Latinos are one of the biggest swing blocks in America. Democrats really took for granted that Latino support and also had this very caricaturish view of what they wanted in terms of super serving a soft on immigration message and that that would be enough to hold them in the coalition forever. And you and I've been tracking, especially in 2020, you saw these significant shifts down in Texas and Rio Grande Valley.

56:48Then you saw in 2024, even more shifts towards Trump. And I think Republicans have somewhat made the mistake of just assuming that like, oh, now they're in our coalition and that's it and nothing is going to change. That's especially true in Texas, where a lot of the gerrymandering relies on the Latino swings. That's the biggest mistake. I mean, look, no constituency should be taken for granted. I do also think it's caricaturist to say that it's only about immigration. One of the things that we always said is, yeah, it turns out Latinos are like everybody else in terms of we care about the economy.

57:18Actually, we're not all the same. Actually, a Puerto Rican in New York is not the same as a fifth generation Mexican-ish guy in South Texas. Turns out, yes, we may understand each other's language. We're totally different. We have totally, you know, wants, dreams, whatever. Our entire daily life is distinctly different than also a Cuban or Paraguayan in South Florida and then also a Chicano in Los Angeles. Like, We're all the same, okay? Actually, in that we're all different. That's it. And mostly we basically - We're all the same in that we're all different. Yeah, we are. It's a tautology, but it's true.

57:52It's one of those where, yes, we are in a massive country. We all individually live in our areas where our wants, needs can be like-ish the same, but the circumstances of our life are very different. So we generally vote in terms of our own interests. And this is why, remember the Tony Hinchcliffe thing? They're like, oh, Puerto Ricans, they're not gonna take that. It's like, yeah, actually, they voted overwhelmingly for Trump and especially down in South Florida. And it's like, yeah, why? Well, because it turns out like they're not like little sissies that can't take a joke. Again, just like everyone else.

58:23So in this case, I think they're net on immigration in the same way other people are net negative on immigration. They're like, this feels chaotic. That's what it's about. I mean, I would say that there may just given the racial character of the way the immigration push has been executed with the Kavanaugh stops, the number of U.S. citizens who happen to look Latino or have Latino surnames or whatever, who have been stopped, who have been arrested, who haven't been believed, even when they pull out their driver's license. Like, I think it probably does hit a little extra if you're Latino and you see the way that people who look like you and, you know, have similar names, have similar ethnic backgrounds are being targeted.

59:03Your communities are the ones that are being most targeted by ICE. Like, I do think that that is certainly a significant factor here as well. But in terms of the latest, so, you know, Bovino's crew of Customs and Border Patrol, which are the, you know, we talk about ICE as kind of a catch-all. CBP is actually the most aggressive in Bovino. has been he's the one who did the big apartment raid in Chicago. Like he's been sort of the most wild and has the most like militarized sort of forces behind him. He also in Chicago, and I think this is part probably of why they're leaving the city of Chicago at this point.

59:38There were a bunch of court orders that came down to really constrain their use of force, in particular their use of tear gas, which had been totally just wild and indiscriminate. And we showed you the video here of them like spraying tear gas into a car that was passing by that had a one year old strapped into the seat. American citizens, by the way, one year old strapped into the seat and they just pepper spray them as they're driving by. So in any case, there have been a bunch of court orders against him. He had to admit in court that he had lied about a number of incidents as well. So they've left Chicago.

1:00:09Now they're in Charlotte. We can put C2 up on the screen. This is from a day ago. I don't know what the update is, but U.S. Border Patrol arrest 81 on first date of Charlotte. immigration crackdown. We've seen backlash in the community there. There's, you know, videos, similar videos of Chicago coming out of Charlotte. And apparently the idea is to stay there for a relatively short period before heading down to New Orleans. We also have some numbers here about, OK, so, you know, did they get the bad guys in Chicago? Was it all worth it? All the, you know, Black Hawk helicopters, zip tying children, pepper spraying near Halloween parades, shooting an American citizen who was an activist five times.

1:00:45Was this all worth it? put C3 up on the screen, 2.6%, 16 people on the list of 614 that had to be provided to the court in one of these cases, 2.6 % of them had any criminal history at all. I mean, that is so pathetic. They said, I think in this article or one of the other ones that I read about this, that, you know, normal Chicago PD would in a single weekend come into contact and have dealings with more than 16 people with criminal records. So when they use all this rhetoric about the worst of the worst and, you know, these are the worst people on the planet, this is what we're actually talking about here.

1:01:30Barely any of these people had criminal histories. In the big apartment raid that they broadcast on social media, they were so proud of, they put out all this propaganda about, used the Black Hawk military helicopters, swoop in, knock down doors, drag out children in the middle of the night, American citizens, all the rest. Guess how many people they ended up charging from that? Zero. Zero. Again, we were told this building was infested with Trenderag. Trenderag had taken over this building. It was lawless gang violence. I'm not going to say that there weren't any sort of crimes being committed in the building because people complained about, you know, drug use and this sorts of thing that was going on.

1:02:09You had a total slumlord who owns the building, who's probably the one who, by the way, who called in ICE. What they were able to actually charge, though, zero people out of this whole thing. So it's very important for people to understand the way that they will routinely lie and misrepresent what they're doing. And there was also, Sagar, just a big New York Times piece backing up other reporting as well, that because DHS has shifted their priorities, the actual, you know, investigations into sex trafficking or human trafficking or drug dealing, those sorts of things have fallen by the wayside so that they can pick up Jose at the Home Depot.

1:02:46I mean, administration doesn't have credibility on this. They haven't had credibility since he caught, in my opinion. Yeah, that's painful for me to say. All right. I mean, you know, I like I want deportation. I want law and order. I still think, you know, broadly, I think criminals and all that should be prioritized, deported. And I mean, yes, it's great. I know the left is now have now a refound love of deporting criminals and illegals, not they ever actually wanted to under the Biden administration. But OK, you know, cool that we're now accepting that. It's very frustrating, to be honest, because you're watching the entire credibility of the ideas behind mass deportation or deportation itself be eroded.

1:03:21This is like an abolish ICE activist dream, to be honest. Like, you know, you have more political credibility than ever before. And the case of immigration restriction will probably be damaged now for generations to come. I think that's very damaging. And I do blame the administration because they're the people who ultimately have to enact this policy. And I think that they've cartoonishly behaved and they're creating more chaos. And so, yeah, I mean, I've just resigned. I'm like, look, I think it's over. I think we've We've got three and a half years. They'll clownishly continue this type. And then, do we have the Cernovich tweet?

1:03:59Yeah, C5. Can we put C5 up here on the screen? This has been sticking in my head. I mean, I've also been saying it. But what he said, Mike is a prominent conservative activist. He says, during a recent visit in D.C., the talk of everyone was how overt the corruption was. It's at levels you read about in history books. In nearly every department, lots of do people just think Democrats will never win? and they'll all get away with this. And I mean, I think this not just about immigration. I think about this broadly with a lot of the administration. And you can make fun. Such a cash grab. You can make fun all you want.

1:04:32There were lots of well-meaning people in the election who voted for legitimate immigration concerns. And ultimately, you know, the crime for people who use those, you know, to then not only enrich themselves, but do damage to the cause, it's devastating. I mean, it's one of those where, like, look, you know, if you think back for, I don't know, let's say Biden, any, you know, if you believed in those types of politics and then you have a bad leader and a bad administration who does tremendous justice, like, that's a, you know, like, that's criminal, right? Actually, because it's really a lot of voters and others.

1:05:08And we talked yesterday about the whole Fuentes, like, racialism thing. I mean, they're doing everything in their power to try and basically, like, basically empower this, like, racialist view of the world, basically, at this point. Yeah, I mean, it's honestly, like, it's really depressing. Because what it does show you is how cartoonish, like, the behavior here is. And look, I'm not going to deny there are real people's lives who are also at stake here. I mean, I maintain, even if you're, quote, not a criminal and you came here illegally, I still think you should be deported. But, you know, good luck making that argument in the future.

1:05:41If people look at Black Hawk helicopters and all this other stuff, they're going to say, at the end of the day, I'm not willing to make that tradeoff. I'll continue to make the case. I still believe it. But if this is the way that it actually, it's kind of like when people try to defend socialism or whatever. And everyone's always like, well, you know, look at has it ever worked before. If the practical example that anyone in modern memory can have of this, they're going to be deeply skeptical for generations to come. And I think that – I think my friend Raihan Salam wrote this years ago about Trump and maybe he was right.

1:06:13He wrote it back in 2015. He's like an OG immigration restrictionist. And he was like, I think Trump will do damage to the cause. I actually ridiculed him at the time. I'm like, well, he's the only one who won and now he won again in 2024. But perhaps he's been vindicated in the long run. interesting um speaking of that corruption piece put c4 up on the screen this is just yeah it's like shit like this is crazy christy noem who loves to do these freaking photo shoots and is just an embarrassing person in general oh lo and behold uh propublica by the way has been doing some very good reporting firm tied to christy noem secretly got money from 220 million dollar dhs ad contracts what i mean what do we even need dhs ads for to begin with um you guys want to see what these ads look like.

1:06:57And then I can tell you more about the details of this firm and who all is involved with it. Let's go and play C6. This is one of the ads that this firm was involved with creating. Why do I love these wide open spaces? They remind me of why our forefathers came here, not just for its beauty, but for the freedom only America provides. I'm Kristi Noem. From the cowboys who tamed the West, to the titans who built our cities, to the dreamers who chased the impossible, America has always rewarded vision and grit. Our greatness calls people to us for a chance to prosper, to live how they choose, to become part of something special.

1:07:40Anyone who searches for freedom can always find a home here, but that freedom is a precious thing and we defend it vigorously. You cross the border illegally, we'll find you. Break our laws, we'll punish you. Harm American citizens, there will be consequences. But if you come here the right way, your American dream can be as big as these endless skies. From President Trump and me, welcome home. Okay, so her little dress up deal. I had noticed some of these ads. That's a little weird. A little weird. Yeah, well, because on Fox News in particular, they'd be like, you need to leave. And I was like, how many illegals are watching Fox News?

1:08:19I mean, I'm only watching Fox News because I have to for work, right? Do you really think that some ad of Christine Ohm and a horse is like gonna change your decision about where? I mean, it's just, it's a total vanity project. She, like probably many others, wants to run for president, I assume. And so this is a way they've flooded, the big, beautiful bill flooded DHS and ICE with just insane amounts of cash. And so this is the type of shit that they're doing with it. This little ad campaign, which, by the way, so again,$220 million. They kept one beneficiary of the nine-figure ad deal a secret, according to ProPublica.

1:08:57Records and interviews show a Republican consulting firm with longstanding personal and business ties to Noam and her senior aides at DHS. The company running the Mount Rushmore shoot called The Strategy Group does not appear on public documents about the contract. The main recipient listed on the contracts is a mysterious Delaware company, which was created days before the deal was finalized. No firm has closer ties to Noam's political operation than the strategy group. Played a central role in her 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial campaign. Corey Lewandowski, who is not only her top advisor at DHS, which is the part they put in here, is also her rumored boyfriend, has worked extensively with the firm.

1:09:36And the company's CEO is married to Noam's chief spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin. So there you go. Strategy Group's ad work is the first known example of money flowing from Noam's agency to businesses controlled by her allies and friends. And, you know, there's there's this no secret why they decided to hide this, because it is blatantly and clearly disgustingly corrupt and just, you know, total cash grab at every level of this administration. And it's true. You know, I keep thinking about Steve Bannon telling I don't remember what conference he was at. He was like, you know, if the Democrats get back in power, some of us are going to prison.

1:10:12Now, I don't think, you know, Bannon's already been prison. I'm not aware of him committing any new crimes. So he's not at the top of my list. But like, yes, this level of corrupt dealing, it should be punished. The level of lawlessness, like when crimes are broken, I do think that some of these officials should fear for their freedom after this administration is through. because I can tell you the Democratic base is going to be looking for a candidate in 2028 who is willing to say Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem should be in jail. I mean, you know, can't say you weren't warned. And yes, if you cartoonishly disregard the law, I mean, in Kristi Noem's case or Stephen Miller, even if my opinion is what's going to happen is Trump on his way out will do the Hunter Biden thing, the preemptive pardon for any and all whatever.

1:10:56And so, no, I don't think anybody's going to prison. but whenever it comes to investigations in the interim, what a lot of people don't know is that the government doesn't pay, let's say, for your legal fees, like when you get called before Congress, especially if it's on a private matter. And so many officials, this happened in the Clinton administration, this happened in the first Trump administration. You'll remember I said this during Doge. I was like, man, I hope you guys are, you know, Elon will be fine. He's rich. everybody else, I'm like, you better lawyer up because when the Dems come calling in the House Oversight Committee with subpoenas, these guys charge like$1 ,000 an hour.

1:11:33And sometimes they can take 12, 15 hours for transcripts and for interviews. And you need a counsel in the room that entire time. Or when you're calling before that level, look, that's how government has worked now basically since the Kenneth Starr affair. Every time the opposition party, no matter who it is is in power. They try to do investigations and subpoena power and all that. And yes, there's a huge political incentive. So if you're, see, Kristi Noem, I think she'll probably figure it out, donors. If you're Tricia McLaughlin or like one of the junior people, those are the ones where I'm like, I would be very worried if I were you.

1:12:08Or, you know, some of these ICE guys who are out on the street, like just because Stephen Miller or Greg Bovina or whatever told you to do it doesn't mean that you're totally protected. I mean, this actually dovetails into of the Venezuela segment we're about to do, where some of these military service members who are being tasked with like murdering random people in the Caribbean or in the Pacific are seeking outside legal counsel because they are concerned about their own legal liability and they do not trust the guidance that they're getting within the administration.

1:12:48I'm Bowen Yang. And I'm Matt Rogers. During this season of the Two Guys Five Rings podcast, in the lead up to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, we've been joined by some of our friends. Hi, Bowen. Hi, Matt. Hey, Elmo. Hey, Matt. Hey, Bowen. Hi, Cookie. Hi. Now, the Winter Olympic Games are underway, and we are in Italy to give you experiences from our hearts to your ears. Listen to Two Guys Five Rings on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

1:13:231969, Malcolm and Martin are gone. America is in crisis. And at Morehouse College, the students make their move. These students, including a young Samuel L. Jackson, locked up the members of the Board of Trustees, including Martin Luther King Sr. It's the true story of protest and rebellion in Black American history that you'll never forget. I'm Hans Charles. I'm Menelik Lumumba. Listen to The A Building on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Over the last couple years, didn't we learn that the folding chair was invented by black people because of what happened in Alabama?

1:14:00This Black History Month, the podcast Selective Ignorance with Mandy B unpacks black history and culture with comedy, clarity, and conversations that shake the status quo. The Crown Act in New York was signed in July of 2019, and that is a bill that was passed to prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles associated with race. To hear this and more, listen to Selective Ignorance with Mandy B from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.