Trump Witnesses Crumble on Live TV from Cross Exam!!!

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4:55Ben Meiselas:Donald Trump's top witnesses collapsed under cross-examination before the Senate and in the House of Representatives. One by one, Trump cabinet officials, judicial nominees, and MAGA witnesses crashed out on live TV when they were forced to testify under oath. Let me show you what went down. You had Donald Trump's transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, responding to allegations that his road trip reality show was funded by millions of dollars from companies that he has oversight over. Watch us. Senator Gillibrand cross examines Donald Trump transportation secretary, Sean Duffy. Let's play this clip.

5:34Ben Meiselas:I didn't make any money. This hearing? You are the witness. I am not the witness. I don't have any. Well, maybe you should be. Well, you know what? Secretary Duffy. Secretary Duffy. Secretary Duffy. Seven million dollars. I think you should be telling this committee why. That goes to put your ad on television. That's all to you. You spend that money. This is what I'm concerned about. You are political and you are using your position in political ways. A half a million dollars paid by the trial bar to fly you on a private jet. I've never been on a private jet. Zen Air. I don't. Zen Air? Never been on a private jet.

6:11$462 ,000 private jets. We don't. Members of Congress aren't allowed. So they pay a few to fly.

6:16Ben Meiselas:Yes, senators can. Not true. It is. Not true. Answer to that. You know what, Mr. Secretary? I made nothing. Your job. They put your face on television. Your face on television, your steak dinners, your vacations by the trial bar. I make nothing on this. We're going to go to Senator Capito, recognize you for your question. Then we had Democratic Senator Murray cross-examining Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about just how out of touch he is with the American people. Let's play this clip. So, this show is incredibly out of touch with where Americans are. And I echo Senator Gillibrand's concerns that it really raises some serious ethics concerns about who you answer to, because the people organizing your show solicited corporate sponsors and promised rewards at each level of funding.

7:06Ben Meiselas:I'd be honest, that's not true. I'm looking at your thing. That's not mine. There's a memo of understanding that says no one gets any benefit for anything they do to participate. I'll ask you a question. Maybe you can answer it. Sure. If I'm an airline executive and I paid a million dollars for this great American road trip, what would I get out of that? For me, nothing. Well, look, as I said, the deck that is out there says that if you give a million dollars, you get six VIP invitations to receptions. you get to go to roundtables, you get to networking events. If someone from the healthcare industry gives you$2 million, what do they get for it?

7:47What do you give them? I do not oversee the F.A. I do not regulate. You have jurisdiction. I do not regulate. You have jurisdiction. $2 million to put your face on TV, to buy steak dinners, to go on vacation. Listen to my point here. That's what you do.

8:01Ben Meiselas:Welcome to MAGA. Welcome to Drill Baby Drill. Mr. Secretary, please. Are you going to drill? Do you want to support lower gas prices? I welcome that. Let's drill. Then Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tries to talk over Senator Murray. Here, let's play this clip. You have done everything you can to increase gas prices for Americans and make us buy EDS. Mr. Secretary, this is my time. Donald Trump is lowering the cost of energy. You are wasting my time responding with a book of claims that you have come at us. Democrats staying focused on their cross-examination. Then Senator Gillibrand continuing the cross-examination of Sean Duffy on his road trip show.

8:39Ben Meiselas:Remember, Duffy became, I guess, somewhat famous because he was on the real world road rules challenge. And then he and his family took this road trip reality show thing that they did, funded by millions of dollars from companies that are under the oversight of the Transportation Department corruption at its highest. Here, play this clip. I also do not like your great American road trip. And I get you have experience in that. I get you want to promote America and how beautiful and amazing it is. I get all the good reasons why you wanted to do that. And I get it's time with your family, all those things.

9:17I don't like it because right now in New York, people are suffering. They are extremely stressed out. They're stressed out about the cost of gas, which has gone up by 50 % under this administration. They're upset about the cost of everyday household goods. They're upset about the cost of groceries and housing and health care. So there's stresses. I don't think they're going to get to go on that great American vacation that they'd like to go on. I think a lot of families are not actually going on vacation this summer. And when I went and met with a bunch of gas stations across my state just a couple days ago, the cost of well over$4 a gallon in every gas station,$5 a gallon, over$6 a gallon for diesel, it's extremely stressful.

10:02And I don't like the fact that this great American vacation reality TV show took days and days of filming. I don't like the fact that it was paid for by companies that you have to oversee, companies that you work with. and in our jobs that would be pay for play it would be 100 illegal it would be inappropriate on every level uh and not tolerated and in this era where president trump's spending money building a golden ballroom that we don't need that he's spending a billion dollars a day on bombs that people would far rather he be spending on health care or housing this great american road trip.

10:49It doesn't smell right. It may be fast, but it's fast and loose with the rules. I don't like it. I think it's wrong. And I think you should explain to the American people why you should spend your time and why you should be getting a vacation that is paid for by companies that you regulate. I think those things are highly problematic. And it makes me extremely anxious because the American people and New Yorkers in particular probably can't afford their vacation this summer at all.

11:19Ben Meiselas:And then Transportation Secretary Duffy just tried to tell the Senate committee, you don't really get it, the road trip that I did. Sure, it was funded by the industries that I have oversight over, but it was supposed to unite the country. The country wanted me to do this, damn it. No, they didn't. Here play this clip. Let's talk about that. This was a project, Senator, and I want to encourage Americans to see their beautiful country. And as we can see from this hearing, there's a lot of partisanship in America. This seeing your country, experiencing your country through the window of a car is a beautiful thing.

11:49Ben Meiselas:It actually unites America. Maybe spending time with your children is a wonderful experience. It is a wonderful thing, but your vacation was paid for by Boeing, Toyota, United Airlines, Enterprise, Shell, Royal Caribbean Group, all organizations and companies. Do you want me to respond to you? Can I respond? But you're responding with platitudes and it's not. I'm telling you what I'm telling you what the project was. Got it. Two days, quickly in and out, and I did film the Great American Road Trip to encourage Americans to travel. I'll answer your question. So this was officially part of America 250.

12:25Ben Meiselas:And you all sanctioned America 250. This is an official partner. No, it's an official partner of America 250. Also, this body told me that I'm supposed to promote tourism and travel. And that's what it does as well. Now, hold on a second. No, you're making an alley. It shouldn't be paid for by people that you oversee. Can I respond to that? Oh, sorry. I didn't realize. And finally, more from Gillibrand cross-examining Duffy right here about how his conduct is just not appropriate at all. Here, let's play this clip. We've asked for all states to revoke illegally issued driver's licenses. Every state has complied but New York.

13:02Ben Meiselas:And we have tools to pull money from New York. And we did. California even complied. But the point is, but Mr. Duffy, Secretary Duffy, I don't mind that you have rules and that you have a different way of doing the Department of Transportation. What I mind is that you bragged about it and made a joke about it. I'm also bragging. It is not appropriate for a secretary to demean an entire state by that joke. So we're going to give eight billion dollars to rebuild Penn Station. Is that a joke? No, but. No, you'd welcome that. Right. And I've asked for your subways to be cleaner. With our tax dollars.

13:38Ben Meiselas:You got that money because we give it to you from New Yorkers. And then we get a choice where to put it. And you give me that discretion. We also appropriate money that then you don't grant. So we are the appropriators, not you. No, I know you are. We appropriate the money. You're supposed to spend it. Sometimes you choose not to. And we have to file lawsuits to get you to spend the money. I want to make allegations. Can I respond? Do you want me to respond to, or if you want to take all your time is up, but if you want to just sit and vent or want me to respond, Let's talk about the Great American Vacation.

14:08The Great American Road Trip? Yeah.

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15:46Ben Meiselas:That's right, up to 43 % off with code MIDAS at M-U-D-W-T-R.com. After your purchase, they'll ask how you found them. Please support our show and let them know that Midas Touch sent you. Then in the House of Representatives, you had Democratic Congress member Moskowitz cross-examining a MAGA witness named Swain. She was there called by the MAGA Republicans in the House of Representatives to attack the Southern Poverty Law Center. She's a right-wing MAGA pundit. And I want you to watch what happens as Moskowitz cross-examines here. Let's play this clip. Are neo-Nazis supremacists? It depends on which ones.

16:29They're individuals. I didn't ask you which ones. Some of them are plain old anti-Semites. Miss Swan, listen, I'm not reading your book if you literally can't answer this question. Are neo-Nazis supremacists? They're individuals. Some are, and some may be just plain old anti-Semites. No, no. Neo-Nazis are anti-Semites, okay? We're going to agree there. But they're also supremacist miss swan okay if you know if you are no no no you don't have to take my word for it right like they are it's the that's the whole reason they exist but you all don't believe they are supreme you all don't seem to understand that a white was they all i'm not a neo-nazi who's they all i'm a regular person asking another regular person okay if we can agree that neo-nazis are supremacists i will agree with you okay i didn't i don't want you to be forced into it i would agree with you, but I suggest you all take the time and read my Cambridge University Press book that was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

17:24Dr. Swan, I can promise you there's no freaking way I'm buying your book. When it took two minutes for you to look at me and not, and had to convince you that neo-Nazi, listen. Because I don't like the talking points. This is not a talking point. This is a hundred years of history. Watch this. I'm going to show you how easy it is. Mr. Perkins, are neo-nazis supremacists they are supremacists thank you sir mr o 'neill yes okay dr swan that wasn't a trick question for them i wasn't trying to trip them up i wasn't using dnc talking points

17:54Ben Meiselas:this is part of the problem then we heard from democratic congresswoman jasmine crockett she brought the house down let's play it people that are in organizations that are absolutely white supremacy organizations should get our tax dollars because they decided to tear apart or attempt to tear apart our democracy. They are being rewarded. These are people that went through our criminal justice system. When people on that side of the aisle claimed that they love law and order, they went through it. They either entered pleas of guilty or they were found guilty. And this president on day one, his priority was not around racism.

18:32It was around doing things like letting them go and now putting money in their pockets. We haven't had one hearing on white supremacy, yet when we look at things like the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, the nine worshipers who were murdered at the Mother Emanuel AME Church, the 23 people murdered in 2019 during a shooting at Walmart in El Paso, the 10 people murdered during the 2022 shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. All of these were murdered by white supremacists who were empowered by the Republican Party's racist rhetoric and policies. This is the same party that wants to drag us back to the Jim Crow era.

19:13Some say that there aren't poll taxes and I guess it's because they're not listing the amount of money, but when you tell somebody that they've got to go and pay for something, say like a passport that costs over$100 in order to be able to vote, that looks like a poll tax to me. Some of y 'all need to read up on your history books the very same ones that the Republicans have decided that people should not hear about because you don't want real history taught in our schools because you're afraid that it's going to hurt people's feelings to know that their ancestors were so savage that they would enslave black folks.

19:47You don't want them to understand why the 14th Amendment mattered then and it matters today. You don't want them to understand that when they draw these racist lines and tell black folk that they shouldn't have representation in this country, that it is against the Constitution. You want them to be ignorant so that they can sit up here and be your token for your mission. Well, you can't yield because you don't run out of time.

20:13Ben Meiselas:Then we heard from Democratic Congress member Jim McGovern, who showed how Republicans were voting against an amendment to stop Donald Trump's$1.8 billion slush fund in a case where Trump sued his own IRS and Treasury Department to give January 6th insurrectionists who assaulted police officers millions of dollars. Beyond shameful. Let's play this clip. I move the committee add a new section to the rule providing immediate consideration of HR 7711, the No Rewards for January 6 Rioters Act. So this bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to compensate individuals who were prosecuted for their involvement in the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.

20:57Ben Meiselas:Additionally, my motion would self-execute an amendment that would require the Attorney General of the United States to disclose any payments made by the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund, which was created by the Corrupt Settlement agreement between Donald Trump and his own administration. This secret slush fund should be an outrage to every American, no matter your politics. I would urge a yes vote on my motion, and I yield back. And the question is on the amendment. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Those opposed to say no? No. The no's have it. The amendment's not agreed to. Then we heard from Donald Trump's judicial nominees.

21:33Ben Meiselas:You had a guy by the name of Matthew Schwartz, who was a nominee for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Watch as Senator Blumenthal cross-examines him. Let's play this clip. The Capitol attacked on January 6th. Senator, there was definitely trespass and violence at the Capitol on January 6th, and obviously violence against law enforcement or against political actors is unacceptable. So the Capitol was attacked violently on January 6th, correct? So again, Senator, you're asking me to weigh in on sort of public characterizations. What I will say is that the Capitol was, there was trespass and there was violence at the Capitol on January 6th.

22:14You know, what makes me angry is not just the insult to the role of this committee, but to our intelligence. Do you really expect us to accept these canned, rehearsed, practiced answers repeated again and again and again by judicial nominees who have an obligation to be truthful? And most important, you have an obligation to be independent. You both know better. You both have records of litigating. And you both would expect more of nominees in your position because, above all, a federal judge must be independent without fear or favor. and your fear, apparently, of Donald Trump, so much so that you practiced with the White House before you came here and rehearsed this answer and are repeating by rote what you've been told to say, in my view, is disqualifying.

23:28And I'm really disappointed in both of you because I would have expected better. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.

23:35Ben Meiselas:Mr. Chairman. And we had Senator Blumenthal cross-examining another Trump judicial nominee, a guy by the name of Flowers. Watch this. Mr. Flowers, who won the 2020 election? Senator Blumenthal, I'll incorporate the answer that Justice Jackson gave that Chairman Grassley referred to earlier. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment on the outcomes of any election except to say that, legally speaking, Joe Biden was certified. Justice Jackson said it would be inappropriate for her as a sitting federal judge. You are not a sitting federal judge. Who won the 2020 election? Senator, it's long been understood that nominees should abide by the same code of ethics that binds sitting judges.