Transcriber: nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v2, sat-12l-sm, and large-v3-turbo
Source
Participants
Main
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frank luntz
r23:54
kimberly adams
cspan07:46
Appearances
joe biden
d01:33
Callers
joshua in pennsylvania
callers00:03
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Voice
Speaker
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President-Elect's Inauguration Plans00:09:39
unidentified
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I'm so proud of how much we've accomplished together for the American people.
And I wish the incoming administration success, because I want America to succeed.
That's why I've upheld my duty to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power, to ensure we lead by the power of our example.
I have no doubt that America is in a position to continue to succeed.
That's why my farewell address tonight, I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern.
This is a dangerous concentration, and that's the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people.
And the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked.
Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.
President Biden there mentioned oligarchy, and yesterday, President-elect Trump held a party for roughly 500 donors, friends, and other supporters at his golf club in Virginia.
Much has been made of the mega billionaires who will be on the dais at his inauguration and their influence and power.
What are your thoughts on President Biden's speech and his warnings about oligarchy in particular?
With this being the end of a year and the beginning of a new one, how can we explain duty, honor, country?
unidentified
It's in our history.
To go back to the Constitution and over 200 years of American history, you know that leaders of character, and from West Point, committed to the values of duty, honor, country is what made America so excellent.
When you hear American exceptionalism, for me, that's what comes to mind.
When you hear the story of the Patriots during the Battle of Fort McHenry throwing themselves and their bodies at that flagpole just to keep old gory flying, just so there's one symbol of hope for the Americans out there that the flag was still flying.
When you I hear the story and when I think of those patriots signing that blank check and giving everything up just to keep that flag flying, that is duty, honor, and country right there.
That is the reason why the Constitution has survived for over 200 years, why the American dream and our excellence and exceptionalism has survived for 200 years.
And all of us here at West Point are committed to that because we know that America needs leaders of character and that is what I and everyone else here has been called to do.
So if America needs one reason to hope for this new year coming up, it's that everyone here is committed to that same excellence, that same leader, committed to be that same leader of character through our values of duty, honor, and country.
You were talking about leadership and courage, and so was the student who was just featured in that clip.
I want to read a portion of the Special Counsel Jack Smith report that came out this week saying that the through line of all of Mr. Trump's criminal efforts was deceit, knowingly false claims of election fraud, and the evidence shows that Mr. Trump used these lies as a weapon to defeat a federal government function foundational to the United States democratic process.
How do you reconcile that report with what these cadets are asking for in terms of leadership from any leader in the United States government?
The great thing about West Point and the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy, there's not a shred of partisanship.
There's not a shred of politics that they serve the Constitution, which I don't think that Americans know this.
Their responsibility is not to President Biden or President Trump.
It's that sacred document that's what?
10 blocks from this, where we are in the studio.
And every time I bring them to Washington, I take them to that document and I step back and I let them look at the Constitution and all that it represents.
And I thank God for that piece of paper because it has created the most exceptional, extraordinary country and the most wonderful young people who serve.
And I wish and I hope and I pray that we get a chance to have this conversation.
We won't.
You and I won't be here.
But we're going to celebrate our 250th birthday shortly.
I hope that we get another 250.
And the key to that is accountability, personal responsibility, and most importantly, the truth.
And these are the things that are taught at West Point.
I wish all the callers, all of us, focused on the truth, because that's what makes for a strong country.
Just to refresh our numbers, Democrats can call in at 202-748-8000.
Republicans 202-748-8001.
And Independents at 202-748-8002.
Mike is in Chatham, New Jersey on our line for independence.
Good morning, Mike.
unidentified
Frank, thank you for being on, and good morning to everybody there.
My key question is: how would you rank President Biden as a president from A to F?
Now, I'm not going to mention immigration and all the thoughts that basically everyone knows about.
What I'm going to talk about is the segment you raised about character.
Now, let's talk about character.
Character is responsibility, truth.
I think the biggest and egregious fault of Biden was claiming that he could run for reelection, yet he was essentially deceiving the American public.
I think that is a major character flaw, and essentially that man should have never even considered running if he had the interest of the American people at heart.
That's how I want you to rate President Biden on character.
He did it because he thought he was the only one who could defeat Donald Trump.
And he waited too long to make that decision.
And that debate was truly historic.
If Biden had not debated Trump, he would not have dropped out.
The American people would not have seen that difference, and it would have changed the election.
But that's what history is about: events strung together to give us a new narrative about what's going on.
And I think that that will be the thing that soon-to-be former president will regret that instead of going out with this whole list of accomplishments, he will end his administration having to defend why he stayed in so long and sought to get the Democratic nomination.
People have to remember that the 2017 tax cuts are still in effect.
And also, the sanctions or the tariffs that President Trump put on China are still in place.
But the spending that they did in 2021, they passed that other COVID bill, which put trillions of dollars into the economy.
And the inflation reduction act, even Larry Summers, who was President Obama's Treasury Secretary, said that all that spending was going to be inflationary.
When President Biden came in, inflation was 1.4%.
He got it up to 9%.
So the American people who are not really very astute like a lot of people like yourself about how the economy works, but they feel it when inflation hits them.
You're talking about the fact that Congress is going to be debating whether or not to extend certain provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
And can you talk a little bit about some of the ideas that have been floated for how to extend these tax cuts as Republicans have said they want to do, even though it's estimated to cost anywhere between $4 and $6 trillion?
Well, then you have to also think of how much it costs the average taxpayer if they're affected by this, if their taxes go up, whether income or business taxes, and this affects small businesses, family-owned businesses.
And so the Republicans have to decide how much they want to push this.
Democrats have to decide whether they really want to go on record saying, however much you're taxed, we think you should be taxed more.
There are so many economic disputes that are coming right now.
The public wants to protect Social Security.
They want to protect Medicare.
In the end, and this is really controversial, you really can't affect the debt until you start to look at programs like Social Security, not now, but heading off into the future as America gets older.
And I don't know how they're going to solve it because this building right behind you, they're so divided and so distrustful, and they campaign at the drop of a hat.
One of the cadets who's down here in Washington, by the way, the cadet that you showed is actually here in D.C. meeting with generals and admirals and senators and congressmen, both sides of the aisle.
Rachel is in 4E, Texas, on our line for independence.
Good morning, Rachel.
unidentified
Hello.
I understand that illegals that's working over here, when they get their checks, they get tax withheld out of their checks.
That helps pay for Social Security.
And they claim they get free insurance.
Well, they don't get free insurance, but you cannot be turned down any emergency room you go to.
And this thing about getting, they're paying them $750 a month through paying illegals, that's not true either.
And we all know if Garland hadn't dug his feet and the Supreme Court justice, our Supreme Court justice, denied or delayed Trump's trial, he would not be president at the day because he did cause an insurrection.
I was just wanting to ask him, does the illegals that cannot file taxes, but they get taxes withheld out of their check does not go towards Social Security.
So what are we going to do when we don't have that extra money coming in when they deport all these illegals?
Viewers who've known me for 25, 30 years know that I've had increasing health issues, and there's no way in heck that I'm going to miss C-SPAN the day before the inauguration.
And I recognize the caller's concerns.
In the end, that's why the public wants a permanent idea of the results that people, and I'm going to actually, I've got the polling data for you.
Our caller mentioned the contributions of unauthorized immigrants to Social Security benefits.
And here's a story about that in the New York Times, pointing out that undocumented workers often pay taxes that help fund programs like Social Security, even if they can't collect from them in the future.
The Social Security Administration receives billions in free money each year from an unexpected source, undocumented immigrants.
The group paid an estimated $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes in 2022, according to a recent analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning tax research group.
Since unauthorized workers cannot collect retirement and other Social Security benefits without a change in their immigration status, the billions they pour into the program effectively act as a subsidy for American beneficiaries.
Let's go to Mike in Chillicothe, Ohio, on our line for Democrats.
Yes, Frank, they're with, you know, we've come a long way since Nixon and Kissinger stood on the Great Wall of China and then sent to Reagan to ask Gorbachev to take down that wall and now we're building one.
And plus, he repealed the fairness doctrine.
We need to reinstate that.
And then we need to talk to Clarence over there at the Supreme Court and those other justices about Citizens United and all the gridlock, the finger pointing, the dark money, the division, the diversion, the other tactic to use, scare tactic.
Let's play this other clip from your focus group at West Point since we were just, since he was, our caller was just mentioning the military academies.
Most people have heard of this place, but they have no idea what happens here.
They have no idea about the magic or the chemistry or how you all relate to each other.
Can you explain it to me?
unidentified
In itself, just the words honor code can sound very rigid, but in my opinion, I would say that it's a promise.
It's a promise to the person next to me that I'm going to do my best every day to be the best version of me and that you're going to do your best every day to be the best version of you.
And that's what creates the trust in the teams that everyone thinks is so like, how does West Point build these teams?
It's because we have a mutual trust and we have that promise that I'm going to do my best every single day for you.
I know that this is a question that you kind of don't want to answer, but I'm asking you to answer.
What can the United States of America learn from the United States Military Academy at West Point?
unidentified
I think the ability to trust one another, that trust that mutually binds us together, would be probably the largest thing that an average American citizen could take away.
Being able to look to your neighbor, to your left and right, and understand that they're there for you and they have good intentions.
Be able to work for each other and support each other.
Dr. Launce, I'd echo that.
American values are exceptional.
They're unlike any others that we see in the world.
And if Americans could tap into that and remember who we are as a nation, the values that we have, the promise that she shared that we have with each other to be the best versions of ourselves.
The people that you're seeing on TV are actually here in Washington meeting with Democrats and meeting with the Republicans and not making a political or partisan judgment.
They're meeting with people in the military, people in business, people in politics.
This academy is so exceptional because of the people who present their skills, the capabilities.
We've got a couple of Fortune 500 CEOs who are going to talk to them because they understand what the sacrifice of those men and women.
They work 80, 90 hours a week.
It's not just intellectual.
It's also military training, which is so essential right now.
And their physical capabilities.
I'm embarrassed.
I'm fat, I'm slow, and I'm old.
And when I'm around them, I feel, and they're strong and they're vibrant and they, and they're the best of what we have.
And what I love most is when I'm in a room with cadets, I'm the worst human being in that room.
That honor code, lie, cheat, or steal.
I trust them.
I don't lock my doors.
I leave my wallet out because I know they have my back and they have America's back.
And that's what makes them exceptional.
No matter what happens in this country on shows like this, in that building over there, they will defend the Constitution and they will bring our young men and women home safely.
Well, in that regard, though, Marie was asking, given some of the things about President-elect Donald Trump, his convictions, the multiple accusations of sexual assault or harassment, and related to what those cadets were saying about character.
Just as they defend the Constitution in a show like this, at this moment, I look at the country when America represents not just the people who occupy that building or occupy the White House.
And I ask Americans to aspire to something better, to something greater, and take responsibility for their actions and demonstrate accountability in everything that they do.
And this guy, even when he was young, never was, never had it.
unidentified
He was a gripter his whole 50-year career.
The guy, and then the media sat for the last four, this whole last four years that they just lost, and when he ran against Trump, they sat, he remember that campaign out of the basement, Paul that they used.
This new four years that he won, he barely did anything, did nothing, and they all talked from all the fake news.
The deep state covered him, covered his butt.
The journalist wouldn't have, he got away with everything.
And I'm sorry to interrupt, but he doesn't have a question.
He wants to be heard.
And the problem in America is that we're not seeking information.
We're actually not seeking the truth, capital T, capital T. We're seeking our truth.
There's something that Paul Simon wrote, and I think it's in the boxer, the song, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.
He never had a question.
A lot of your callers on both sides don't have questions.
They simply want to be heard.
And C-SPAN gives them that ability to be heard.
But that's the core of anger in this country.
The feeling that we've been ignored, forgotten, and even betrayed.
This is a gender issue.
This is a racial issue.
This is an economic, an educational issue.
And the goal should be that people feel represented.
They don't have to vote for everything you agree with.
They don't have to put everything into legislation.
But I'm hoping that over the next few years, if that voice can be heard and people feel like they matter, then some of this decibel level will be decreased.
We're going to end with this has never unknown history, a crowd ever seen like this before.
My question is: what's going to happen if a Democratic governor calls in the National Guard to stop the deportation, and you have the federal government bringing in the military?
I know that we have reached the point, the breaking point in this country.
And I think you're going to see that over the coming weeks.
But if we can get affordability under control, if we can stop the chaos and the fentanyl, I hear stories of families all across the country burying their kids because of fentanyl that's coming across the border.
And I've been alive for 62 years.
I remember the drug crisis in the 1980s.
Just say no.
And it's worse today.
It affects everyone today.
This government has to prove that it is efficient, effective, and accountable.
And the things that they do have to be meaningful and measurable.
We have to be able to feel it in our day-to-day lives, and we have to be able to prove that it's actually happening.
So you have two callers, back-to-back, Democrat and Republican, both of them not wanting to ask a question, wanting to make a statement.
As a pollster, I hear them.
As a human being, as an American, it causes me pain.
As someone who wears West Point shoes and gets a chance to teach West Point cadets, I'm probably too down on America, but I could not be more supportive of those military academies for what they do for this country.
Last caller for now, let's hear from Ed in Roselle Park, New Jersey on our line for Republicans.
Good morning, Ed.
unidentified
Good morning.
Ms. Lawrence, my question is regarding the Doge group, start with Elon Musk and whatever, and how successful you might think they're going to be.
And my other question is regarding President Biden's pardons recently, the extent and nature of them, because I was quite shocked by some of them, and I just wanted your thoughts on that.
Before you answer Ed's question, two questions, because Ed mentioned spending and the Doge Potential Commission, we also had a post on X from MLB who says, it's not the spending that's the problem, it's where we spend our money that's the problem.
Subsidies for big oil, big pharma, and big agriculture are what enrages the working American public.
It's not just a spending for a bridge, so-called bridge to nowhere.
It's not just about naming some school somewhere.
It's about the small spending, the big spending, and the sense that we don't know where the money is going.
We work darn hard, and our money gets taken and used by these politicians.
The public is going to, they make fun of Doge.
The public wants it.
The public wants Elon Musk and the vaccine Ramaswamy to get their hands inside the government and shine a bright light on where the money goes and most importantly, what it does.
We measure inputs.
We don't measure outputs.
Does it actually work?
So the caller is correct.
That email is correct.
Why do we increase Social Security beyond inflation?
How do we get Medicare costs so that people get the choice and control they want, the affordability they need, and the quality they deserve?
By the way, delivered by the doctors and hospitals they trust.
It's a very simple process, but actually getting there has become really difficult.
I do hope the President and Congress work together.
I do hope that there are some Democrats who join with the Republicans.
I do hope that this administration hears the voice of Democrats.