Deep Dive
Shownotes Transcript
BP added more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy over the past two years by making investments from coast to coast. Investments like building EV charging hubs in Washington state and starting up new infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico. It's and, not or. See what doing both means for energy nationwide at bp.com slash investing in America. Exhibition hall. Seeing sort of a huge number of booths.
There's one political convention that's unlike anything in national politics. We're walking past a booth where you can sit at a mocked-up Oval Office behind the desk. There's a picture of President Trump on the left and the MAGA hat on the right. Take down the evil Chinese Communist Party. Interesting. Oh, the right stuff. This is a dating app for conservatives. Nice. Nice.
I'm sure it is popping this weekend. Walking past like a table full of hats. We've got Let's Go Brandon, Trump One, Trump 2024, God and Guns Forever, 1776, Rhino Hunting Club, Make America Florida, Don't New York My Florida. From the people who attend to the vendors who sell merchandise, this is MAGA country. What's your bestsellers?
As far as hats is concerned, I could shit in bed at President. That thing took off like you have no idea. You got, uh, you have all the Trump 2024 stuff. I don't see any other 2024 people. I have a DeSantis 2024 hat on there. How well does that one do? Not really very well. You know, I make some sales, not a lot.
I would say the Trump merchandise outsells the Sands merchandise over 50 to 1. I think some merchandise slowed down, though, since, you know. Well, there was, after the midterms, which were just lackluster, people were, like, bummed out. Sales of everything slowed down, but now it's picking up. This is a place for the super fans. Is this, like, a sense of politics? It's us. Oh, my goodness, it's a sweet smell of freedom. You can't go wrong. Made in USA.
Veteran owned. Right? Clean beauty. So these are named like confidence. So yes, confidence for women, victory for men. This is the ultra masculine. And then peace and freedom are unisex. Freedom is the overall best seller. It's the sweet smell of freedom. So it's sweet citrus and campfire.
Do you have any thoughts about 2024? I'm excited for 2024. Trump 2024. Trump 2024. 100%. 100%. We're sort of checking in with people because we're like, is there like some, I've been seeing some DeSantis hats around. Yeah, and that's fine. Great leader. I love, I live in Florida. Wonderful governor. But Trump 2024.
100%. Why? Proven record. And I think people have been pushed to that pain point where they realize, I'm going to get over my sensitivity to mean tweets and vote for family security, borders,
And all the things that we love and care about and that have made America great and putting Americans first, especially here. You could get all of that without the mean tweets if you vote for someone like DeSantis. So why would you? There's a difference between a track record and a possibility. You never say never about anything. But at this point, like if I was a betting person, I would bet that I wouldn't change my mind. He gets indicted?
I absolutely know. I think that will actually propel him to more success for so many reasons, because America loves to root for an underdog. Even if you don't like him, you have to respect the fact that he's not giving up and he's coming back at his age and with that energy and vibrancy. Americans want to win, you know, go back to our days of winning as a country with unity. You know, I grew up, like I said, in New York City area.
Welcome to the Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC. This is like the Comic Con of politics, where the fans come together with the biggest voices and leaders in the grassroots movement. Under Trump, CPAC was huge. This year, post-midterms, the big story was that it had become a place for has-beens and losing ideas.
But after spending time inside the political establishment of both parties and learning how Trump's movement was still driving many of their decisions, for me, this remained a must-see event. I knew that what happened here was going to set the stage for the entire presidential race, that for any candidate to win the Republican nomination, they would need to speak the language of the grassroots. They would need to prove that they were listening.
And so in early March, I made my way to a nondescript convention center in National Harbor, Maryland. I wanted to find out, what does a Republican candidate have to say to secure grassroots support? And are any of them willing to do it? From the New York Times, I'm Astead Herndon. This is The Run-Up.
Do you want to explain kind of what we're walking by? We're walking by the media row of CPAC. Lindell TV for Mike Lindell. This is Real America Voice. This is the real kind of who's who of ultra-conservative media. Oh, there's Donald Trump Jr., who's getting ready, I think, to broadcast for his podcast.
The first full day of the conference, we made our way upstairs to the main hall. There's this big stage with royal blue curtains hanging behind it. Music blares over the loudspeaker. There is rows and rows of gold and blue hotel chairs set up for thousands of potential attendees. And yet... Not a lot of people here. I would say about like half the room is full. Turnout is low.
Maybe people are up just late comers, or maybe CPAC has lost the shot. And some of the key figures are missing. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida isn't here. Fox News is barely covering the events. We find our seats, and we make it just in time to see the morning's headlines.
Ladies and gentlemen, the chairman will serve you now. Please welcome from Ohio, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan, and Chairman of CPAC, Matt Schlapp. Welcome to CPAC, everyone. What do you think?
For the last two years, they said it was unsafe to have a CPAC here. Do you feel safe? I do too. There's a lot of chatter in the media about who's here and not here. I'm really proud to be standing alongside someone I think might just be the most powerful man in Washington, D.C. That will be Jim Jordan.
the Freedom Caucus co-founder who has just taken over the House Judiciary Committee. Jordan is a trusted voice on the right, and he kicks things off by hitting on a lot of different issues. When she said the divided America today is normal versus crazy, right? And there's so much... I mean, crazy is thinking that boys should compete against girls in sports. Crazy is thinking you defund the police. Crazy is this... Let me remember this moment in a...
In a hearing, my colleague and friend Dan Bishop from North Carolina, he said in the hearing of the Democrat witness, he actually asked the Democrat witness
He said, can men get pregnant? And the Democrat witness, she said, yes. And that's crazy. Crazy as letting what you know is a Chinese spy balloon come clear across the country for a week and then shooting it down. And crazy is when you have an FBI that says people who practice their faith are somehow extremists. Again, when we have the First Amendment, which is supposed to protect. And that is the first liberty mentioned in the very First Amendment. So yeah, this is crazy.
As sprawling as it seemed, Jordan's speech turned out to be a kind of roadmap for CPAC. The grassroots was undeterred by the midterms. In fact, because they see the other side as the crazy ones, the losses only fueled their sense of urgency. Now, almost anything can be justified in the face of growing threats.
for Matt Gaetz, who was fresh off the news that he would not be charged with sex trafficking. "Thank you for that warm reception, if you don't mind me saying so."
I think vindication looks pretty good on me. It wasn't overzealous federal government. Seems like every time I turn around, they're engaged in surveillance or list building or monitoring. And I don't care if it takes every second of our time and every ounce of our energy. We either get this government back on our side or we defund and get rid of, abolish the FBI, CDC, ATF.
D.O.J., every last one of them, if they do not come to heel. Under Trump, the deep state was a covert establishment force in Washington, intent on sabotaging his agenda from the inside. Now that Democrats are in control, Gates says the deep state has turned into a weapon to keep grassroots conservatives out of power. And this must be opposed at all costs, like he showed during the speaker fight.
All of you saw what 20 members of the House of Representatives did when we demanded change in a corrupt town. These are different times. They are new times. They call for boldness and patriotism. It is the honor of my life to fight alongside each and every one of you. Go to macgates.com, join my fight, vote for Donald J. Trump in the CPAC straw poll, and let's go get him. Thank you.
And then... Wokeness is a virus more dangerous than any pandemic hands down. There were the so-called culture wars. Sacking the woke playbook. Woke worldview. Woke policies. Woke agenda. You look at a company like Disney that has gone like woke plus.
Woke has become a bit of a grab bag for conservatives. Things like mass mandates, critical race theory, and just liberal virtue signaling in general. But this year... Transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely. The whole preposterous ideology at every level. The favorite target is transgender identity. I graduated from the University of Kentucky last year where I was on the swim team.
You've probably heard the name Leah Thomas. Leah Thomas is a 6'4", fully intact biological male who swam three years on the men's side at University of Pennsylvania before switching to the women's team during his senior year. In one of the panels, a former college swimmer told the story of competing against Thomas.
And in her telling, it ended in a tie. But we go back there and the official looks at me and Leah. We're about this far apart. And he says, great job. You guys tied. Leah gets the trophy. And so I look at him and I say, OK, I understand we tied and I understand there's one trophy. But what's your what's your thought process as to why Leah gets the trophy? And he said, well, for photo purposes, Leah has to have the trophy. So you can pose with this one. But you go home empty handed. Leah takes the trophy.
Everything that I have dedicated my entire life to, I was reduced to a photo op to validate the identity of a male. And that's when I decided to take a public stance and really just standing in the truth. To the folks at CPAC, it all amounts to an attack on women and an existential threat to children.
One of CPAC's superstars. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome from Georgia, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Dedicated her entire speech to the issue. Well, welcome back to Maryland, CPAC. We are so excited to be here, and this is such an important time for conservatives to come together. And I'll tell you why.
The left has told us something that should put fear in the heart of every parent, and not just parents, every single person. They've said they're coming for our children. Now, I don't know about you, but when it comes to kids, I think the Republican Party has a duty. We have a responsibility, and that is to be the party that protects children. Marjorie Taylor Greene used graphic imagery to drive her point home.
Because she sees this as a political opportunity.
where the grassroots could find overlap with the mainstream. It's not just conservative Republicans that agree with this. This isn't a right-wing extremist idea, everyone. There's independents, Democrats, Republicans all over America that agree that we need to let kids be kids.
After the speech, we found the congresswoman in the back of the room, holding a press conference for the media. Joe Biden doesn't seem to care what's happening at the border. He's more interested in Ukraine's border, and he doesn't care about our border. Her focus for this audience was different. Here, it was all about the definition of America first.
which I had questions about too. From the New York Times, how would you define America first? And has that definition changed from Trump's first run to Trump's second run? I would define America first as our federal government, which is completely supported by the American citizens. Our policy should be about our
country first. That's what America first means. It means caring about America's borders before we're concerned about fighting a war in a foreign country's land. Has it changed from the first run to the second run? I don't think it's changed. As a matter of fact, I think he's more convicted. And what he's more convicted in is getting the job done. America first isn't just another theme of CPAC. It's the theme of the whole grassroots movement.
And so, while I'm here for an unfiltered update on the beliefs driving that movement, I'm especially interested in the definition of America First itself. Because while the wall still comes up… Every American citizen has a civil right to be secure and safe in their own country and to have a completely sealed border. It feels like the scope is expanding.
And heartening. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for no Chinese balloons above Tennessee. The spy balloon had just happened. Did you ever think that Americans would look to the sky and see a Chinese spy balloon looking back down at us? I think we had to spend four or five days asking the Chinese spy balloon what its pronouns were before we were willing to shoot it down.
And to the grassroots, it was emblematic of a growing global threat, crossing into our borders and taking our limited resources. The whole conference sounded more and more like Steve Bannon, who continues to define this issue on the right. We're giving $200 billion to Ukraine. We're paying their pensions. We're paying their health care. To people under 35, do you have pensions that the government's paying for right now?
You do not. Do you have full healthcare? You do not. We are underwriting, which Europe will not underwrite. I have no problem at all. If the Ukrainian people want to fight a Slavic war for the Russian-speaking eastern border of Ukraine, and if they want to go to Crimea and take it back, God bless them. And the Europeans are going to pay for it. We've paid enough in the wars in Europe.
If we don't put America first. You know, I'd like to be able to report that we're just in a crisis or there's a crisis coming, but that's not the case. There's no longer a gathering storm. The storm is here. Bannon says the country is headed to a dark place. A third world war that are not only going to wipe you out economically and financially in this country, more important, your sons and daughters are going to die on foreign battlefields. Are you prepared for that? Do you support that?
I can't hear you. Do you support it or not? Because if you don't stand up and fight it, it's going to happen. You can't put all this just on Donald J. Trump. It's a coming apocalypse that only the grassroots and its candidate can stop.
That's how you do it, and we're not going to have it anymore. Donald J. Trump is not simply a leader of a political party. He is not a politician. He is a leader of the most powerful political movement in American history. Being here, listening, I realize why the grassroots isn't backing down, despite its losses. It's not about politics. It's not about R or D.
In the battle between good and evil,
There's no room for compromise. All right, guys, get busy. God bless you. Let's make 24 the biggest victory in conservative history.
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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Comparison rates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. Hello, this is Yuande Kamalefa from New York Times Cooking, and I'm sitting on a blanket with Melissa Clark. And we're having a picnic using recipes that feature some of our favorite summer produce. Yuande, what'd you bring? So this is a cucumber agua fresca. It's made with fresh cucumbers, ginger, and lime.
How did you get it so green? I kept the cucumber skins on and pureed the entire thing. It's really easy to put together and it's something that you can do in advance. Oh, it is so refreshing. What'd you bring, Melissa?
Well, strawberries are extra delicious this time of year, so I brought my little strawberry almond cakes. Oh, yum. I roast the strawberries before I mix them into the batter. It helps condense the berries' juices and stops them from leaking all over and getting the crumb too soft. Mmm. You get little pockets of concentrated strawberry flavor. That tastes amazing. Oh, thanks. New York Times Cooking has so many easy recipes to fit your summer plans. Find them all at NYTCooking.com. I have sticky strawberry juice all over my fingers.
Ahead of a presidential election, CPAC is typically the first stop on the candidate circuit. And it famously ends with the straw poll, a survey of all the attendees that's closely watched as an early snapshot of who has grassroots momentum and credibility heading into the primary. But this year is a little funny. Organizers will announce the results of the straw poll just before Trump addresses the crowd. He's the main event.
So for another candidate to come here and make the case to the grassroots is essentially to publicly challenge Trump, which is why most of the big names have stayed away. Still, a few people gave it a go.
Thank you so much. It's great to be back at CPAC. I'm always happy to be here with my fellow conservatives. First up, former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley. Real national unity comes from boldly proclaiming our national purpose. It comes from standing on principle and persuading opponents to stand with us.
like I did when I was governor and when I was ambassador. I'll take this message far and wide in the days ahead. Haley's being careful. On the one hand, Trump is her former boss, and she knows her audience. On the other, she has to convince them that she's the stronger alternative. I have a particular message for you, my fellow conservatives. We've lost the popular vote in the last seven out of eight presidential elections.
Our cause is right, but we have failed to win the confidence of a majority of Americans. That ends now. If you're tired of losing, put your trust in a new generation. And if you want to win, not just as a party, but as a country, then stand with me. Her pitch is simple. This isn't about ideas. We need to win. Thank you, and God bless America. Thank you.
Next up is Mike Pompeo, the former Secretary of State in the Trump years. He'd been flirting with Iran. Good afternoon. It's great to be back at CPAC. It's wonderful. Like Haley, he focuses on electability, but goes a step further and criticizes Trump as a danger to the party's true values. We shouldn't look for larger-than-life personalities, but rather we should find power in the rooms like this one, people all across the country. We can't become the left.
following celebrity leaders with their own brand of identity politics, those with fragile egos who refuse to acknowledge reality. This is a tough world, both abroad and here, and we can't shift blame to others but must accept the responsibility that comes to those of us who step forward and lead.
Over the last few years, I've heard some who claim to be conservative excuse hypocrisy by saying something like, "Well, we're electing a president, not a Sunday school teacher." That's true. But having taught Sunday school, maybe we could get both.
But when he says, when he says you can get both a Sunday school teacher and a president, it's not like that's an applause line, right? It's not as if that is actually what these folks in this crowd are seeking, right? Part of the reasons they come to Donald Trump is because of the offensiveness. And so they are not looking for a Sunday school teacher here.
Right. The question is whether that is true for the larger Republican electorate. Even Pompeo doesn't quite seem convinced of his ability to convince people. We are going to restore a conservative America that has at its core our founding ideas of our Judeo-Christian tradition. The fight has started. We're in it. There's no turning back. We have a responsibility to act consistently that every day and stay in the fight.
I'll always do that. I know you'll join me. God bless you and may God bless the great nation of the United States of America. Thank you all. Haley and Pompeo are telling this audience that they're the future of the party. That to win, the party has to leave Trump behind. But to this audience, they represent the past, not Trump. And nothing would be worse than going back to a Republican party controlled by the rich, elite establishment.
With that in mind, my colleague Luke and I split up to talk to some voters just before the results of the straw poll. Can I ask what your name is? Yad Sleem. E-Y-A-D-S-L-E-M. How old are you? I'm 22. You're 22? And you're a student? I go to George Washington University. What are you? What year are you? I'm a junior studying international affairs. Okay, cool. What brings you here? Um...
It's only a half an hour by drive coming from someone who lives in
George Washington University and goes to a school that has like 95% of liberals. It's nice to come to another environment, another bubble of like people who kind of think similar, but also share different views on many different things. It's a big tent. Yeah, well, yeah, for sure. What's, is anything particularly like excited or inspired you while you've been here? I mean, something that's memorable is like the calls from speakers, multiple speakers I've heard to abolish the FBI and other like, um,
security agencies, I guess you could say, in the United States. And you like that idea? Questionable. I think it definitely needs reform. The FBI has been corrupt since the day of J. Edgar Hoover. I mean, everyone knows it. At this point, you have to look inward and see what the FBI has done. Stuff like the FBI...
raiding Mar-a-Lago for documents that have been declassified before Trump left office. Did you vote in the straw poll? Yes. Can I ask who you voted for? For president? Yeah. Trump. You did. You're not really interested in any of his challenges. I just think in the environment that we have today, especially in the Republican Party, it would be kind of a
suicidal for a politician to run against Trump. Even though Trump lost in 2020. That's your opinion. So you don't think Trump lost in 2020? I don't think Joe Biden won in 2020. How about that? So who do you think won? China. I think our enemies won in 2020. I think people who want to divide Americans won in 2020. If you look at the riots in the summer that happened before then.
So you don't really think that the party needs a new direction going forward? I actually think they do need a new direction. I think the direction that Trump
in 2016 with the America First movement is the new direction that the Republican Party needs. It's just that the establishment in places like the RNC have been slow to that change and listening to their grassroots and their base. The America First movement, I believe Trump's movement, his ideology, Make America Great Again, encompasses way more coalitions than people think, I believe. Like, I'm Lebanese. My parents are immigrants from Lebanon. I'm a first-generation American. And, I mean, Trump
He really tapped into that base of ending these wars that kill poor men and women in our country. Yeah. No, I hear you. I guess I'm curious how you convince people who may have left the Republican Party because they didn't like Trump that America First is actually for them because a lot of them left and haven't come back in 2018, 2020 or 2022, you know?
I think people will look back and if Trump brings back his 2016 personality, more populism in his platform than there was in 2020, because I do believe that there was a little toned down conversation in 2020 about Trump's policies. So there was definitely more things that the Republican Party could do. But I think when people look back in 2024, when they go answer the ballot box and they see those two names, most likely Joe Biden and Donald Trump,
I think they'll see and they'll remember the four years that they lived under Trump compared to the four years that they lived under Biden. What are your guys' names? For the audio, you know. Amanda. Jeannie Sylvia. So how's CVEC been? Wonderful. Awesome. Who did you guys, did you guys vote in this draw poll? Yeah, of course. Who did you vote for?
Well, Donald Trump, of course. And then vice president, I love Carrie Lake or DeSantis, actually. Yeah. But you both still think that Donald Trump is the person to win in 2024? This is his party. This is the Trump party. This is what he built. So, yeah, DeSantis wouldn't be where he's at without Trump. So you got to...
You know, like look at his manners. Every time he gives a speech, it's almost like he's studied Trump tapes, videos of how he spoke, how to talk back, how to fight. So therefore, he owes everything to Trump. Yeah. If he runs against Trump, what are you going to think?
You're not going to like it. No. You want Trump no matter what. I was just talking to somebody else who was saying, like, it's Trump's turn. Like, it, like. Wait, DeSantis is what, 42? He's got a long time. He, you know, and you know what, he just got reelected in Florida. So therefore, they need him. They need him in Florida till 2028. I think that's more important, keeping him there and to fight.
How do you guys think that Republicans bring back in some of the people who were scared away from the party by Donald Trump? Maybe suburban moderates who were like, I'm not voting for this anymore because I don't like the way he talks. Well, I think Biden has done that already. You think Biden has driven those people back to the Republican? Correct. Well, just to push back on that, I mean, it doesn't seem like that worked anywhere.
Republicans should have done a lot better in the midterms historically. Yeah, blame that on Ronna McDaniel. Really? Yeah, that money went into her face. I've just saved you. You've just saved. I think so. Like, Lululemon, why are you having to stay at five-star resorts? Why did you have to go fly private? Why couldn't you just Southwest?
and save the money and then put it into campaigns. Like, because they did not put enough energy into Nevada, Arizona. Well, those could have been won. You guys don't blame what happened in 2022 on the ideas of the party or on Trump's leadership of the party. You blame it on the way the establishment bungled its role. 100%. I definitely do, because Carrie Lake—
should be governor right now. So do you think a Republican can pull it together for 2024? I hope so. I hope so. And you need to try and learn and try and get more involved. Yeah, I mean, we need to learn how to ballot harvest ourselves. Play exactly how the Democrats play at this point. We have to do it. Even though we don't agree with it, like the ballot harvesting, we don't agree with that. Yeah, one million ballots we do not agree with. I mean, we don't have to do it.
Was it 2016 when Trump was ready? Bill O'Reilly was still on air. He asked him, well, will you go low if they go low? And he's like, I will go low. I don't care. Yeah, and that's what I appreciate about him is that he wasn't afraid to go there and say the things that needed to be said. And I don't think any other Republican had the balls to do that.
Do you think that Trump needs to go back to, like, a vision of the future like he had in 2016? Or do you think that, like, clearly he's been a lot... A lot of his focus over the past couple years has been election denial, things like that. Yes, 100%. He needs to... We all know. Yes, focus. Mm-hmm. On the future. Do you think he can do that? I don't know. I don't know. I love him. I love him. Yeah. But it was just...
Yeah, I think he needs to focus more on what he's going to do in the future and how he's going to make the country great again. What do you hope he talks about? The economy. Energy independence again. Energy independence. And Lauren, my gas prices, please. Please, exactly. And inflation. Close the border. You can do it. Close the border. I mean, and then also, too, get rid of this whole Russia and Ukraine war. That's just dumb. This would have never happened under him.
It makes me sad about what they're doing to the kids in schools. Yeah, yeah, there's only two genders, and I don't like the drag shows they're bringing their kids to. That's not right. I mean, if you're an adult, that's fine. That's one thing to choose to go and see that. We've gone to drag shows before, but as adults. But to sexualize our kids, it's awful. I think it's disgusting, actually. And it's hurting our kids, and now the future.
Thank you.
Hi, how are you? My name is Ben and we're reporting from the New York Times. Oh, you're New York Times. Yeah. We're talking to folks about the straw poll and about what brought them to see that. Do you want to chat for a little bit? Sure. Can you tell us your name? Barbara Coward. And where are you from? I'm from Baltimore, Maryland. Okay, so you're close. I'm close by. Okay. What's it like being a Republican in Baltimore? Well, I'm in Baltimore County. Okay, okay. But I'm originally from Boston, so I kind of grew up in blue states and all that. What made you a conservative? Oh.
I think, to be honest, my parents' upbringing and just, you know, their values and learning from them and church and all of that combined. Yeah, what would you say are your kind of like top issues? Like what kind of is the basis of your political formation? Mine or the part of yours?
I think it really is the economy. I'm really worried about inflation and the cost of living. And so that is, I know there's a lot of other kind of red meat issues that are being talked about here. But for me personally, it really is inflation.
economic one. I really want that prosperity. How do you balance that? Because this is a conference where you see a lot more of the red meat than you hear about the economic front. It seems in a lot of ways Republicans talk much more about the red meat now than they used to. Right. How do you feel about that? Well,
You know, I have kind of mixed feelings because I have like my church upbringing and the values that I installed there. And then I have my own personal ones, too, with friends that I have. And so it's something I struggle with, to be honest. Can you tell me a specific issue? Is that CRT? Is that trans and gender identity? Like which part of the quote unquote culture wars do you feel like you wrestle with the most? Probably.
I really like the gender identity and LGBTQI because I have friends who are that way too. And so, you know, it's, I think with any party too, there's pieces of it that you wish they didn't talk about as much and other ones that you wish that they did and which ones are the most important to you. But, yeah,
Social ones are obviously very pervasive, but mine is really on the economics. Oh, so I get what you're saying. Are you saying that you wish Republicans, in your version of the Republicans, would they talk a little less about gender, culture wars, than LGBT folks than they are? Um...
I think, well, I think it would be helpful for both parties to kind of just dial down the temperature a bit. And, you know, I'm more into national security and, you know, the balloon from China floating over and what's going on with that. And, you know, immigration. I don't like the whole thing with fentanyl and that coming over the border and poisoning kids and all of that. To me, that's...
That's what matters to me. Did you support Trump in the 2016 primary? I did not. You did not? Can I ask who you supported? I voted for Hillary. You did? Interesting. I went to Seven Sisters College, and I was at Wellesley for a bit. So I was really into having her become the first president. That's so interesting. So have you voted for a Democrat since that? No. In 2020, you voted for...
Republican. You voted for Donald Trump? I voted for, yep, Republican. Interesting. I don't think I've heard too many folks who went from Clinton in 16 to Trump. No, no. Like I said, I kind of like come from a, you know, a background. I work in higher ed, which is very inclusive and focused on diversity and all of that. And then I grew up in an environment that was, again, very church oriented and those values. So I think I have that combination of that. What did Hillary Clinton have that Joe Biden didn't that made you want to, or was it something that Trump did in office that made you want to vote for him?
Well, I go back to strong leaders. I think of Hillary for everything, you know, people have loved, but as a strong leader. You have to say that kind of quiet in this.
I know I get in trouble. But, you know, in terms of just and I think also the party on the other side went really far to the left. I think she was more center party kind of thing. So the main difference is also cognitive function. I want to have a president who can speak a sentence, who's not going to fall down the steps going up.
and there, and I really think it's elder abuse that he got forced into this when he really should be dialing it down. And, you know, he's just, the poor guy is dementia. I don't know what it is. I've heard different things, but I just, I want a leader who's going to be able to represent the country, be strong, advocate for citizens, et cetera. And I'm
Unfortunately, Biden, I don't think so. And I think he's really destroyed the economy. So that's a big issue for me. Looking ahead for this Republican primary, do you think you know who you're going to support? I have my two top. Who is it? So obviously, you know, Donald Trump was the man of the party. But I also I love Ron DeSantis. I really do. I like just his again, that kind of, you know,
How he presents himself, you know, he's a law school grad, how he makes his arguments and all of that. But again, I know that the social and cultural wars are very, you know, divisive between the people. So that's kind of where I am now, but I'm going to hear and I'm going to, and also I'm a Nikki Haley fan too. So I'm going to look for her. Who did you vote for in the Star Poll?
Who did I vote for? Did you do the straw poll? I did do the straw poll. Who did you vote for? Oh, I don't know if I want to say. I feel like I like that we have heard so many different types of things. I think you've made clear that you see from across the board. Let me put it this way. I'm a very loyal person. And so if I'm going to, I want to reward loyalty. I'll say it that way. I have heard people say,
that it felt like Trump has had an unfinished business and that's the reason why some people have come back to support him. Is that something that you feel like is a fine, is a good idea? - Oh yeah, definitely unfinished business. I mean, a lot of it from, again, national security, economic reasons,
Yeah, I think so. I mean, a lot of some things that he did, you know, I don't necessarily approve of and I don't like the tweets and all of that too. Is there anything that you hear in there that makes you cringe?
I don't like making fun of people. That's just not how I was raised. There's a lot of making fun of people in there. Yeah, and that's not kind of, I don't like that. That's not who I am. I guess I want to ask, how do you square not liking when people make fun of people and support of Donald Trump, who became, I think, brought that style of politics in maybe more than anybody? So this is it. What is worse than making fun of people? And again, I don't like that at all. Are you ready?
The worst sin, if you will, is not letting people earn a living, support their families, realize their dreams, be crushed in debt, all of that. I think that is... So I'm like, yeah, some of the tweets I don't like, but I think the poor people have lost their jobs and not been able to take care of their families.
I'll try it one last time and then we'll let you go. Who did you vote for in this trial poll? Is there any way you can... I said I reward loyalty. So we can make inferences from that. You can make inferences from that. Thank you, I appreciate it. Okay, no worries. You have a great rest of your day. Nice talking to you. I think she voted for the man we'll see speak later. It's that time of year again, Jim. The poll that gets it all started. So here we go.
Who's going to be your choice in the straw poll ballot? This was you, over 2,000 of you. All right. There goes the technology. The numbers kind of speak for themselves. 62 to 20 over Ron DeSantis. President Trump gets 62%. Fresh off his straw poll victory, Trump took to the main stage. He walked out waving to the crowds.
who was waving back phones in the air, ready to take a picture. He was wearing his signature red tie. He took his time getting to the podium. Thank you very much, and I'm thrilled to be back at CPAC with thousands of great and true American patriots, and that's what you are. Thank you.
He spoke for nearly two hours. By the way, thank you for that beautiful straw poll. That was a big win. Thank you. Our enemies are lunatics and maniacs. They cannot stand that they do not own me. I don't need them. I don't need anything about them. I don't need their money. They cannot steer me. They cannot shake me. And they will never, ever control me. And they will never, ever, therefore, control you. Thank you.
After our time at CPAC, his speech hits differently.
Our country will shine, thrive and prosper like never before. I hear him promising to wage war with the deep state. But only if we have the courage to complete the job, gut the deep state, reclaim our democracy and banish the tyrants and Marxists into political exile forever. They are bad for us. They want us to fail. They want our country to go down.
They are sick people. Change only happens... I hear him promising to protect the children. ...revoke every Biden policy promoting the chemical castration and sexual mutilization... ...to send me a bill prohibiting child sexual mutilation... And of course, I hear him promising to once again put America first. If we don't do this, our country will be lost...
Forever. People are tired of rhinos and globalists. They want to see America first. That's what they want. It's not too complicated. This is the final battle. They know it. I know it. You know it. Everybody knows it. This is it. Either they win or we win. And if they win, we no longer have a country. And I promise you this. This is a candidate who knows his audience, what they want and what they're wondering.
They're asking, is he still listening? This speech is a clear yes. When we started this journey, a journey like there has never been before. There's never been anything like this. We had a Republican Party that was ruled by freaks, neocons, globalists, open border zealots, and fools. But we are never going back to the party of Paul Ryan, Karl Rove, and Jeb Bush. I don't know.
At the same time, it's a message that no one else gets them or the urgency of the threats they've identified. Not the media, not the establishment, and certainly not his Republican opponents. We will cross the finish line. We will dismantle the deep state. We will demolish woke tyranny and we will restore the American republic. Win or lose, they're in this together. In 2016, I declared...
I am your voice. Today, I add, I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. When it comes to making plans, you are the best.
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The run-up is reported by me, Ested Herndon, and produced by Elisa Gutierrez, Caitlin O'Keefe, Luke Vander Ploeg, and Anna Foley. It's edited by Franny Kartoff and Lisa Tobin, with original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, and Alicia Baitu. It was mixed by Dan Powell and fact-checked by Caitlin Love.
Special thanks to Paula Schumann, Sam Dolnik, Larissa Anderson, David Halfinger, Mahima Chablani, Desiree Ibequa, Renan Barelli, Jeffrey Miranda, and Maddie Maciela. If you like the show and want to get updates on latest episodes, follow our feed wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening, y'all.
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