Trump vs. the Supreme Court

David (00:00) Today's episode is about that familiar moment when politics stops feeling like policy and starts feeling like a panic attack with a microphone. Supreme Court drew a hard line on IEA tariffs. The White House responded in its own style. is being rolled out with. big symbolism and thin operational reality. If you've been watching all of this and thinking, am I taking crazy pills? Good, you're not alone. This is Strength in the Nation, let's go. David (01:07) Hey, I'm David. I've got my 20 plus years in the military. am board certified psychiatrist. And today I've got no liquid beverage in front of me at all, which I feel like I'm going to regret about halfway through this. Rob (01:22) Some of these topics do call out for a healthy dose, but hey, it's Rob. I've got 26 years in psychiatry, board certified, 30 years in the military. too am beverage-less this evening. David (01:34) Is this just poor planning on our to go to the liquor store or what? Rob (01:38) A little bit of all the above, I think. David (01:41) truth is I don't often get to see you rob sober me, not you. I'm tired of looking at your fat fucking face. a lot less attractive when zero fingers deep bourbon. Rob (01:46) Yeah, I know Yeah, ⁓ huh. I've been told that I have the world's most punchable face. David (01:55) not to repeat to anybody. I tease. You're a beautiful Rob (01:56) Yeah. beautiful man. David (02:00) So today the IEPA Supreme court case came which is, you know, officially called the learning resources incorporated at Al V. Trump. And that was decided today. It was a six three vote that. essentially held that AIPA, which means something that... Rob (02:17) International Emergency Economic Powers Act. David (02:20) Yeah, there you go. It does not authorize the president to impose we all probably thought that. But here was the core statutory reason is essentially Chief Justice Roberts said after writing the main is that The administration's reading tried to get tariff power out of IEPA's language about regulating importation, but IEPA contains no reference to tariffs or duties and no prior president has read it that way. That's the reasoning behind not allowing this. What I find hilarious about that, Rob, is that if the Supreme Court is now going to say that no other president has read something a certain way and that's why Trump can't do it. I'd say Trump, your horses my friend because I don't think Trump has read anything same way as any other president from what I can tell. Rob (03:11) you know, it's, it's, guess, interesting that this is where the line gets drawn on tariffs. not surprising. I mean, I think from the very are the questions that were posed. the experts said that this particular, act, didn't really apply. It does give some, economic power an emergency. But you know, there's an old trick that I guess federal government or those leaders in power often used, which is to declare much everything's an emergency because you get sweeping powers when it's in an emergency. David (03:43) Yeah. And so to be clear, not all of the tariffs that were implemented were struck down by this particular ruling, just the ones that were using IEPA as the basis for it. So there are going to still be tariffs that are still in but tariffs that were considered trafficking tariffs that were targeting China, Canada, Mexico, and then the reciprocal was like this baseline 10%. on most countries. I think what they said was, well, we're not at war with the entire world. Although, I don't know. Sometimes you think that maybe Trump is, but yeah. Yeah. Rob (04:13) Depends on the day. on the day. give some insight, I guess, into the administration's view of the world. I don't think they necessarily see the world as past presidents have, similar to what the Supreme Court said. No other president has read it this way. But everyone is across the board adversarial. interestingly, except with of the few nations that have authoritarian leanings. David (04:37) Yeah. I can't help but point out the fact that this wasn't tried in his first presidency, which means that even he didn't read it this way. And so the difference now is that he's Rob (04:49) It's so funny you think he's David (04:51) Well, yes, my bad. Rob (04:53) That's didn't read it years ago. He didn't read it at all. Period. David (04:59) whole reason that I think we're talking about this right now anyway, I don't want to like tell this is what happened with the Supreme Court, like go listen to a podcast that talks about this. are several experts we are not, Rob (05:07) Yeah, in that field. David (05:11) what subjected myself to was I listened to most of, if not all of the speech that Trump gave today in front of an audience, poor, poor audience. Rob (05:22) Oh, oh, oh. David (05:23) he was talking about only listened to I was it was SiriusXM so I could hear didn't get to see it. So I don't have that perspective. I'm sure it but sounded like amalgamation a hangry toddler just got told something that they to front of a their own image. what it sounded he wasn't touching the whole thing, Rob (05:52) No, I, did see the actual video. So no, can I can confirm he was not. He did remind me of a toddler melting down on a Walmart toy aisle though. David (06:03) reminded me of my youngest kid when he was a wee-in. And whenever he was hungry or tired or any of the things that set off alcoholics, he would get so nasty would come up to you and just like an inch from your face, put his fingers together tightly and go, I love you zero. And so this whole speech, all I could think of is like Trump holding his fingers up. I love you zero not one, but two of the Supreme Court justices that he appointed. So I love you zero. Rob (06:26) I love you. Well, he does do that hand affectation, actually. So now every time he does it, I'm gonna think, love you, Zero. So what this really was, psychologically, was narcissistic injury on a public surprise, surprise, he didn't come out and say, I respect the institution of the Supreme Court. I respect the separation of powers. We are going to change course. No, that's not at all. What happened? This was a This was that I love you. I love you zero moment and Yeah, it wasn't processed as a constitutional boundary that were set adhere to was clearly felt as humiliation and his David (07:01) It was cute that you think he might do that, Rob (07:15) to be loud enough to cover the bruise David (07:18) accused the Supreme Court justices who voted against him of being influenced by agents. publicly say that, wow. I thought was just more that it was just this severe injury is holding this, I love you zero Gorsuch, I love you zero, me Barrett. It was that after he finished doing that, he had acknowledged that he lost, which is, honestly, it's a huge step for him. I should all praise him for being able to acknowledge that he lost at least a little for like 12 seconds before then he started to attack them. started talking about how smart he is and he started to All the other presidents are stupid and I'm so smart and I've saved this country. Rob (07:48) Mm-hmm. David (08:04) I saved Intel and the reason that all these companies are making factories in Texas, which is very untrue. The factories Arizona and Texas, all of those factories were actually planned years and years ago before these tariffs went into effect, like at least five years ago. if it weren't so comical, but. Rob (08:24) Well, if you remember John McEnroe, a famous tennis player the 80s. Mac. Anyway, so Johnny Mac had this habit of losing his damn mind on the referees, and that's kind of what he was known for. So when you can't argue against the rule, you argue against the referee. In our world, David (08:30) Yeah, he's beloved in Adam Sandler movies. Rob (08:45) say in the forensic psychiatry world when you're testifying you can't argue against the facts that you're testifying, they're gonna argue against your credentials. And that's one of the things we saw today. He was trying to delegitimize the referee he can't argue the rule. In fact, he didn't mention the rule. He didn't say it's wrong because of X, Y, and Z. didn't make a case for why it's an emergency even. And that was the first thing. The other thing that struck me is that, he was denigrating splitting. these are the good justices. These are the bad justices. We already knew the liberal justices were bad, but now we've got Roberts and Gorsuch who have joined the bad group, a week ago whatever the last finding that was relevant, I can't come up with it because I don't follow the Supreme Court that closely. But they were wonderful humans. Everything's great. And today they're completely bad. And we certainly see this with him, that this good-bad we've talked about nuance, but clearly he struggles seeing nuance in But really, toward them. He wasn't chastising them. David (09:30) you Yeah. Rob (09:45) He was speaking to the larger crowd that feeds him, that feeds the ego, and he was trying to reestablish some dominance gotten smacked down on this particular issue. since he's invested so much in of the tariffs. David (09:56) definitely... Yeah, he has. Well, and I think he's already promised to use different methods to implement the tariffs. it's very much like watching a toddler. Honestly, somebody needs to get the man a sandwich. I think if he were to get a sandwich and, maybe a sippy cop. Rob (10:11) I think he eats plenty of sandwiches, buddy. David (10:14) skim a sippy cup and a sandwich before he hears these things and he would probably do better or a nap a nap would be good ⁓ he does yeah Rob (10:22) Well, he clearly needs naps. I think the thing that troubled me efforts to delegitimize and I realize it's struggled. and we've talked about this, that the courts have been asked to make rulings and a role that they were never really designed to do. policy. And they really have been put in a position to make policy because they don't have to go through all the hoops that have to go through actually achieve something. And they don't face the voter's wrath in order to make their rulings. think in general, most people still saw that institution as at least legitimate institution. This effort to delegitimize them is the greater good. David (11:02) It's frightening, that is the playbook. This is the Trumpian playbook to delegitimize anything that doesn't agree with him. that was the goal with the media. That's the goal with apparently anybody who disagrees with him on the Supreme Court, even if they've agreed with him with a lot of other things. He likes to him, the Rob (11:22) or reciprocal loyalty. doesn't have much back, but. David (11:25) No, admired mob bosses publicly. I mean, he thinks they're he likes authoritarian strongmen. he is opined that he wishes that he had military generals like Hitler's the guy. wants nothing but adoration and loyalty to him and him only. And if it's not there because somebody is, stupidly following the constitution, then you're dead to him until he can use you that's probably what does separate him from Kim Jong-un who would have just tied them up in front of an gun and shot it, He'll find a use for the Supreme Court here again and he'll love them and he'll talk about how wonderful they it on thick. the difference between serious strongman authoritarian who actually would just go in disintegrate them in front of a gun versus toddler who loves you zero while you're hungry and then 20 minutes later after you've eaten a sandwich in your belly spool gives you a big old hug and gives you smooches on your face and tells you how much he loves Rob (12:28) Yeah. David (12:30) That's the It's toddler. Rob (12:31) Although I have decided my household I am going to start instituting emergency powers to get some shit done. was what came Yeah. It works, why not? David (12:38) It's a good I do like that, This is an emergency. What's the emergency? I said And that's the parenting. Rob (12:43) Mm-hmm. Yeah, I'm out of out of bourbon. David (12:46) Well, that is an emergency in your know when dad's out of bourbon. Rob (12:48) Mm-hmm. It is. is. Mm-hmm. To our, I am going to institute emergency war powers on the regular. David (12:56) That's a point. Speaking of somebody who needs a since you brought it up, think we got to talk about the Board of Peace. Rob (13:03) Yeah, yeah, yeah. the two funniest things that got me was the Board of Peace, and I really couldn't even tell you their makeup at this point, but it wasn't the cast of regulars. But they called for 70 billion. They got seven. That was striking to me. So 70 billion for this project. We have seven. The other thing that was striking to me is Board of Peace needs its own army, apparently. David (13:27) Nothing says peace like having your own Okay, so here's who is on the founding executive board. I'll give it to Chairman Donald J. Trump, hold your surprise. Hold your surprise. The founding executive board appointed members, Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Sir Tony Blair, Rob (13:30) Private Army. Mm-hmm. David (13:47) And then I have no idea who Mark Rowan, Banga or Rob (13:52) Mm. David (13:52) And then representative for Gaza Nikolai Ladenova. I'm running out of names I can say. Rob (13:57) Russian, Russian name did not inspire confidence with me, just in my belly. I didn't. David (14:04) No, it's a surprisingly small list of people for a board of peace. Rob (14:09) not a cast that I would say is incredibly well known or esteemed in the field of peace. David (14:16) No. No. Rob (14:17) This is the bad news bears of peace. It's just not as lovable. David (14:21) trying to understand what their actual goal is. Rob (14:25) so, their first project is Palestine, right? So David (14:28) Weirdly enough, Palestine is not on the board of peace. Rob (14:31) Yeah, because they don't count. We're gonna go in and develop that wonderful waterfront property. them all in ethnic uniforms and have them serving So solutionism. It's a fantasy. to fix a problem that is massive. David (14:35) They're Gaza. Yes. Rob (14:47) And right now the investment really is in the optics over the operation. a board of peace. It's interesting to me that a president who has engaged in threats of violence the chairperson of the board of peace is currently threatening to attack Iran for questionable reasons. There's an irony there that is difficult to sit with. really, this whole thing was about the optics of having this inaugural Board of meeting. the goal, not necessarily some underfunded by the equivalent someone needing an antibiotic and I give them 10 % of that antibiotic. Unlikely to be successful, what's the deal with him in peace? David (15:35) He wants that Peace Prize so goddamn bad. speaking of he was given Peace Prize, he is now Rob (15:42) Can you imagine him paddling around the White House in like slippers and a robe wearing the goddamn Nobel Peace Prize? David (15:48) where much Machado's peace prize. No, the best part is now he is backing Delci Rodriguez to continue to be the leader of, our, Venezuela, which not surprised because that was the easiest method. Right? I mean, we said this weeks ago, that he would Rob (15:56) Yeah. David (16:04) probably go path of least resistance once he was of or if he needed a big win he would give to Machado but she gave him the Peace Prize so he's good he's got this cover except that now he needs a board of peace Rob (16:16) reminiscent series Peacemaker where he says, love peace and I'll kill every man, woman and child I need to in order to get it. David (16:25) Yes, yes. mean, if anything, are you not surprised that Skeletor isn't on the board of peace? just, I feel like living in a timeline is written by the same people that made Austin Powers at this point. That's the level of silliness that goes into everything he Rob (16:44) want frickin' sharks with lasers. David (16:47) He's got. Anyway. Rob (16:48) We couldn't get sharks, we had to get flounders. Are they angry flounders? David (16:55) that's what it's kind of getting to at this unfortunately, this ties, think, directly into what we saw with the speech, what we've seen with everything that he's somebody to tell him how great he is. And so he comes up with a board to give him. applause, pats on the back. Great job with the piece. You're going to displace thousands upon thousands of Palestinians and you're going to rebuild their land and then steal it from them. Rob (17:15) Yeah. So it's peace conference theater. It's signaling virtue, it's signaling strength, it's signaling leadership without actually having to engage in any of those things. David (17:33) Yeah. Well done, sir. Rob (17:34) Yeah, mean, well, peace isn't an event. I mean, it's a system. You have to operationalize our goal? How are we going to do it? How do we get there? some pieces lacking. David (17:44) I don't know, I think if you say word peace in the title of the board, I think that does it. pretty sure good. when I think about lack of attention that he had, it seems like he does one thing until he's bored of it and then goes off to the next. What I can't help but think is, does he just lay around the White House like a scene from the Great Gatsby? complaining bored he is and then, hey, I have an idea. go make a board of peace. invade Venezuela. Let's get he falling off the Greenland thing yet? Seems like he has, yeah. Rob (18:20) It seems that it's slipped out of that steel trap that is... David (18:24) Well, he said there was like a, his mind, he said something, there was like a deal in the works and then good now. but there's no movement. Yeah. Rob (18:25) Mm-hmm. David (18:32) so I want to take a step back. I gotta take a step back and think about this from a 10,000 foot view I know you've had this experience. I know you have because you and I work in the same field, but when you're working on an inpatient psych unit, and When you meet somebody for the first time who is psychotic, and I think most people when they think about somebody who's psychotic, they think about the movies, they think about somebody who's really over the top. But is truly psychotic, something about them that's, because they usually, they don't just come out and tell you, right? Like when they're really psychotic, they're not saying, I'm psychotic. when you're talking to them and they're using word salad, which is just words that don't make any sense, really struggle to understand it. Like you're like, what's wrong with me for a little bit, right? For a few seconds, you're like, what's wrong with my brain? Why can't I understand what this person is saying? And that's the thing that kind of tips you, there's this person is psychotic, they're seeing something or very disorganized. And so in that very same way, aren't we all kind of asking as they're trying to understand this, and I imagine our tens of listeners feel the same way, like as you're trying to understand this, what the fuck is wrong? Like why can't myself into the shoes of this person? Like I'm struggling to empathize, and that's what we do, right? We empathize with people, but I'm having such a hard empathizing with this perspective because it's so bizarre. mean, help me understand this, Robbie. Like, am I going crazy? Am I taking crazy pills? Rob (19:59) No, well, you're not crazy This is nuts So we are watching something that diverges so significantly From the norms and the rules as we see them that yeah, the first question I often have is I'm not following I don't I don't know if there is a 30,000 foot view on this because I think it circles a singular ego. And that's why it feels so crazy is that, most leaders, most prior presidents are constrained by solid staff that keep them on task, policies that they have to be internally consistent for. that's the best thing. There is no internal consistency decisions being made which leaves LLS. we're going this direction. No, we're over. Wait, we went this way. So the lack of internal consistency or even a You know most of us feel a need to be consistent if we say something on one day We have to follow through on successive days if we make a promise now we have to adhere to that promise later and What we're seeing is not cohesive in kind of a psychotic way. Now I'm not saying our president is psychotic by any means. It's just that the outcome lacking any cohesion in our brains trying to follow a narrative and that narrative keeps changing angles on us and we can't keep up with it. David (21:19) it's watching somebody who doesn't play by the same rules as everybody else, but we're still trying to, It's somebody just exists within very different version of reality. And that version of reality meant and built only to satisfy ego. And the rest of us, we're trying to play the game in front of us. We're trying to golf by the rules. And caddies are just dropping the fucking ball wherever they want so he can play it. And everyone around him is saying, great shot, sir. while the rest of us are going, what the counting our strokes, right? Like we're still trying to function in this world. he's just completely surrounded by people who are allowing him to exist in this alternate reality he can do whatever the fuck he wants. And the second that he's called on it, he gets upset. He loves you zero he needs a nap. Rob (22:20) unsettling, is it not? David (22:21) Yes. Rob (22:22) you've left me speechless. Plus, I started thinking about the movie Caddyshack and Ted Knight's character who kept cheating Danny, sent boys younger than you electric chair, felt I owed it to him. How about a Frasca? There's the challenge. each week this challenge, attempting to make sense of it narrative format, when in fact, it really falls back to Ego protection ego protection rarely follows a narrative can track. That if you're existing at that level, if you're just protecting your ego, then that's one day you sweep your kids up in your arms and hug them because that's what makes you feel good. And the next day you kick the dog because that's what makes you feel better. the next day, you you're screaming at your wife because you can't find your shoes. internal consistency there. cohesion not there. And that's get a also one of the great strengths because the folks that support build their own narrative. their own story. talk chess. They talk about the art of the deal. He literally wrote the book on And he literally did not. David (23:29) wrote the art of the deal. And you're like... And he literally didn't. Yeah. can all understand to some extent, the flaws of his thinking, like the way that he exists. And you can see that within his inner circle, it's been built in such a way to just allow it to keep happening. But I can only imagine that our tens of listeners are thinking not necessarily about that, but about the supporters, right? It's about the people they deal with on a daily basis. It's about how does somebody watch this and go, yep, that's cool. hope that has the nuclear codes because there are people who not only this, but want more of it, right? Like they want this take just what they And so if you're dealing with that, that work with your brain? watch this and go, yes, awesome. Rob (24:24) Wow. So how do you manage an incoherent narrative? stay sane, not get pulled into the incoherence. if I was advising someone, if someone I am setting them across the office from me, I would say you don't let crazy drive the bus. It's always going to off the cliff eventually. So, you know, you never let crazy drive the bus. make the decisions. Where we're stuck is that that individual is in the driver's seat. And we're sitting in the back of the bus. So, I know the temptation, you don't argue with these supporters, you let time prove the point for you. And I do believe time will prove the point for us. used to talk a lot about getting involved locally. can make a coherent narrative in your local environment. I think it does start there. Doing will always trump talking. So you hold your ground because it's yours to hold. tend to the things that are needful because they're yours to be tended to. And you just do. demonstrate. You don't talk. David (25:25) does somebody though? Rob (25:25) Which is interesting for a podcaster to say, yeah, are cheap, man. David (25:30) does somebody empathize? down the trying random person who's got Trump sticker on It's people might be in your life, right? Like these are people you maybe once had close relationships they're really struggling with. And I do see that a lot where somebody is just like, I can't even fathom why this person would support this, but then would continue to watch this and watch things because yeah, Time has we're already seeing wheels are coming This bus has no wheels. It is just driving on rims and there's fucking sparks flying everywhere. And yet there's still people in the front of the bus who are like, wow, you're doing a great job driving. somebody who's really struggling with really close in your life who you care about or cared about, How do you empathize with this person as you're watching them get pulled deeper and deeper cognitive dissonance that's happening where they've supported something that does not match up with their morals from before. And yet they're so deep into it that it's damn near for them to come out of it. trying to coexist you don't want to cut off all of your family, you got to go to the reunions and whatnot. How do you do Rob (26:55) Let's start at the top. So during the first administration, 16 to 20, there was frequent stories that into the public sphere in which Jared Kushner was the Trump whisperer that late at night, Trump would get very angsty and anxiety ridden and second guess. himself and Kushner somehow had the ability to to whisper, nothings and and make him feel better if we're going to empathize let's step back and imagine what it's like to have an ego that is as fragile as Prone to the winds as this ego and how frightening that must be to see almost everything coming at you as a potential threat to your ego or soothing to your ego how that that can't result in an individual that feels truly confident truly self-satisfied Think there's a reason why we get the 3 a.m. Truth social Runs is that's when he's feeling his most vulnerable just like most of us I mean, I think our tens of listeners can identify with what it feels like to wake up in the middle of the night stare at your ceiling and every problem concern worry that you have feels like it's sitting on your chest and they're so much bigger than you as soon as the Sun comes up most of evaporates there is a study and I think it was 2025 from Cambridge, maybe, that looked at Trump supporters. just MAGA, the ones that were sort of ride or die for Trump. the findings showed that they had an disposition, a group-based psychology. They were anti-elite. They had higher antagonism and lower my theory on this at least, that study wasn't looking in terms personality traits necessarily, but my theory on this is that those who support him have a personality structure similar to him. And things that he does actually ends up soothing their ego as well, their sense of... being left behind, their sense of being forgotten, their sense of being disrespected. When he does these things, it actually props up their ego, which is on the fragile edge as well. David (29:04) it's so hard to think about somebody who's anti-elite being so supportive of a person who has made their entire fame out of being at least financially elite, physically maybe not so. what you're saying is Rob (29:09) of Elite. David (29:18) We empathize with them because their egos fragile? Rob (29:23) they share that structure with him. mirrors them a way that makes them feel comfortable and his actions help prop up those things attacking their ego. Again, look at the supporters, they do tend to fall into certain socioeconomic class. They tend to be, working white Caucasian population. mostly rural supporters and they are under threat. I mean, this is the greatest wealth, a dis equity that has ever existed in the history of the world. think I might've just made that up, but it sounded, it sounds like it should be true. David (29:57) In the US at least, Rob (30:00) is massive, disequilibrium and the share of wealth, jobs that are losing, market share technology advancing. I've often said this, but so many of his supporters are doing jobs robots. and I'm not exaggerating robots will do, 10 or 15 where I grew of folks found jobs that it was granddad worked there, dad worked there, my kids will work there. It was a good Interestingly, there were mostly union jobs at that time and that's evaporated. good benefits, could have a respectable life. And have ego has lots of reasons to be propped up. When you see that slipping away and you see it slipping away for yourself and you assume it's gonna slip away your children because they won't have the same opportunities you did and you're pissed because your dad had better opportunities than you did, they have a lot of reason to have fragile egos. They are under attack. They do not know if they're gonna be able to take care of their families, give their they wanna give their families. our tens of listeners, think of what you derive your sense of self from. And it's probably things like being a parent or being a husband, wife, taking care of people, meeting your responsibilities, doing good at work. Those are the kinds of things that we do. And when you start to take those away and the work becomes something that you can't be promised any longer, that you don't What's next? And you do feel it. You might not know it for sure. mean, I don't know if these folks are following the advancements in technology and AI, but they feel something in the air that's shifting. And if you take away their ability to make a living, then they can't take care of their family. And you're just stealing away identity piece after identity piece, which ends up making the ego very fragile. And when they see Trump, even though he is not actually doing the things that he says he's doing. He's not aggressively out there working for the little guy. says and attacks the elitists that have it easy and they don't have to worry, and it feels temporarily good. So I think he is ego salve for this population. and that's why they love him so much. then also once you've bought and you've supported him and you've screamed at your relatives and you've broken family rule of talking about blowjobs at Thanksgiving, crossed the Rubicon, it is difficult to turn around and walk back. David (32:29) that's, that's that's what think that's what I'm getting at too. you, have sheep who are following shepherd who turns out to just be a wolf, shepherd's clothing, leading them off to slaughter. But once they've committed to that, it becomes their Rob (32:29) Cause that's your ego now. a Trump guy. David (32:46) It's not just I support It's is who I am now. I way that I would say, to wrap your brain around potentially empathizing with it isn't necessarily to empathize with it. It's just to once somebody's identity is so wrapped up in something You're not going to bring them back from that. They need to come to that conclusion on their own. What you can do is make it worse, drive them further into their identity by cutting them off from what could be community that exists outside of find within that identity is a community that all agrees with sitting on the outside of that saying what the fuck is wrong with you? you see you're following the wolf? And they're thinking well now you're the bad guy. Rob (33:36) This is definitely not a thing you can debate someone out of. You can certainly still engage with them as humans, help them do their yard work, them human to human, likely yield more benefit over the longterm. Arguing with them is lot. It reminds me. When I was in college, one of my pastimes when I was killing time between classes was to go to College Green watch Christians argue with the atheists. don't think anyone's mind was ever changed, not one time, because there's just some core beliefs that you cannot be argued out of. You live. You know. famous poet named Rainier Rilke said, you have to live your questions and the answers come. Now, the challenging thing for us right now is that there are messes that are generational messes and we might not live to see the solutions. We might not live long enough to see the answers and that you gotta yourself in the nuts a couple of times. yourself don't like to punch yourself in the once it's been enough time, you just forget, hurts, but wham, my, yeah, really does. So you gotta remind yourself, and a society such as ours, and a population such as ours, and a country as big as ours, It takes so much time. So the pain that will be reaped from this administration will eventually cause a tipping point in which things change. David (35:05) actually do it at a remarkably rapid pace. taste for the immigration policies has gone way that was one of the biggest things and now people are less excited about it with some exceptions. Rob (35:16) talking about something in theory is always so much different like kids playing war, it's so much different than going to war. So it was easy to talk about, yeah, I'm against illegal immigration, but then watching, know, a five-year-old in teddy bear hoodie get picked up by ICE, well, now all of a sudden it's real. David (35:35) Yeah, hoping that people find some satisfaction from keep you You gotta really scrunch your face while you're doing it too. You gotta be like, really show the distaste. I love you zero. Rob (35:39) I find none. love you this much right now, David. ⁓ yeah, I love you so much. I used to work with someone when she'd get mad with that. She'd look at me and she'd go, I just hate your face. David (35:54) Or with married Rob (35:56) worked with. David (35:57) Okay, maybe Rob (35:59) No, no, no, no, professionally. Not that kind of professionally. In my role a medical professional. You're mad at me. God, I just hate your face. David (36:01) That's fine. I've some patients say that to me. don't know about coworkers, all of thinking it. You probably thinking it right now. Rob (36:13) thinking it right now. David (36:15) we do some prescriptions here? Rob (36:16) Sure. so our politicians, cannot yell for 90 minutes and say absolutely a, is, all grievance dominance, self mythology, it's not leadership. It's emotional regulation by a microphone. if the national avatar needs constant applause to hold shape. The problem is not the crowd, it's the structure. David (36:35) I'm gonna call this the toddler rule. Rob (36:37) Yeah. David (36:38) In the future, if Trump gets any bad news from the Supreme Court, he has to first eat a sandwich, drink from a sippy cup, take a nap, then he gets to make a speech about. Rob (36:48) He's gonna pat his bottom to make sure it's not wet and or full of shit. David (36:52) Stephen Miller. Rob (36:53) Stephen Miller asked to do that. David (36:55) or Carolina. Rob (36:56) You know, Stephen Miller looks so angry all the time that we just may struck on the why of it. That's his job around the White House. David (37:03) is just to be angry. Rob (37:04) No, doing the, when your kids are little and you kind of pat their ass to the diaper to see if it's, yeah, if it's too firm or full of shit. David (37:09) Just see if the diapers wet. Who has to change it though? Also Stephen Miller? Rob (37:20) Melania. David (37:20) I doubt that very seriously. Rob (37:22) Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon. David (37:23) I don't think he's around. No, I'm guessing it's Stephen Miller. Yeah. right. Wouldn't you be? Rob (37:26) Steve Miller as well, That's why he's so mad. David (37:30) Okay, well, thank you to everybody for sticking around. We really appreciate all tens of our listeners. Please go to our website, sign up for our email list, ahead and hit subscribe, hit like, share with your friends. We would love to have all of your smart, thoughtful friends Listening to us as well. that's about it. Rob (37:46) I'd love to be able to say hundreds of listeners at some point. will always adore the tens of listeners that were with us, but it would be really cool to say David (37:49) I'm. like maybe somebody's kind of listening like they fell asleep and this just fucking popped onto their player accidentally. then they woke up and they changed Rob (38:01) Maybe. I don't think we're high enough on the don't believe we're high enough on the algorithm to just randomly pop on iPod. David (38:08) All Okay. Well, let's keep that music and we are out.