Fed Up General SHUTS DOWN Sen. Kennedy's Desperate Smear — Congress ERUPTS

[0:01] The challenge is because most MAGA Republicans, they don't understand what fascism is. [0:13] The reality is that they are, in fact, fascists themselves. [0:18] Did I read that accurately? [0:21] Senator, I am happy to discuss my personal perspective with you separately at any time. [0:26] That's not the purpose of the hearing today. [0:28] Did I read that accurately? [0:30] I believe so, yes. [0:31] Yeah. [0:35] You think you're smarter than the American people, don't you? [0:38] Absolutely not, Senator. [0:39] I am here to discuss the use of the military as part of this mass deportation. [0:47] You think you're more virtuous than the American people, don't you, General? [0:51] Senator, I am insulted by your comment. [0:55] Senator John Kennedy really woke up, put on his best folksy grandpa suit, and walked into a Senate hearing strutting like a rooster convinced he invented the sunrise, [1:05] only to get handed his own head on a congressional platter by a retired general. [1:10] You literally cannot make this stuff up. [1:12] Look, I just finished watching this entire committee exchange, and my blood pressure is somewhere through the roof. [1:19] If you know John Kennedy, you know the drill. [1:22] The agonizingly slow Southern drawl, the folksy little aphorisms he thinks make him sound down to earth, [1:28] and that smug grin he gets right before he tries to trap someone for a cable news hit. [1:33] But today, oh, today the playbook completely broke down. [1:37] Thanks, Senator Klobuchar. [1:40] Senator Kennedy. [1:42] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [1:44] Mr. Arthur, you are with the Center for Immigration Studies, is that right? [1:49] That's correct, Senator. [1:51] And that's a nonpartisan think tank, is it? [1:53] It is, sir. [1:54] The border is an open, bleeding wound, isn't it? [2:03] That's a fair way to characterize what's been going on for the last four years. [2:06] The Southern border is chaotic by design, isn't it? [2:10] Yes, it is. [2:11] I've been covering the border for three decades, and yeah, it's pretty chaotic. [2:17] Would it be fair to say that the broken Southern border is man-made? [2:24] It would be fair to say that, sir, based on policies that have been implemented. [2:30] And that man's name is Joe Biden, isn't it? [2:34] That would be a fair assessment, yes, Senator. [2:39] Under President Biden, if you wait in line for legal immigration, you're a chump, aren't you? [2:50] When you look at the benefits that have been given to people and the speed at which they've been released into the United States, [2:57] I would be chagrined if I were waiting for you. [2:59] You're a chump, aren't you? [3:01] Yes, sir. [3:01] General, you believe in open borders, don't you? [3:11] I believe in the rule of law, sir. [3:13] Right. [3:14] And it makes you angry that President Trump does not believe in open borders, doesn't it? [3:26] Senator, I'm not here to discuss immigration policy. [3:29] I'm here to discuss whether or not we use the military to enforce it. [3:34] And it makes you angry that most Americans don't believe in open borders, doesn't it? [3:43] Not in the slightest, sir. [3:44] But, again, I am not here to discuss immigration policy. [3:47] Yeah. [3:51] Duty, honor, respect. [3:54] You talked about that? [3:55] Yes, sir. [3:56] In your opening statement? [4:00] On October 14th of this year, you went on CNN. [4:06] I want to read you what you said, make sure I'm accurate. [4:16] Here's what you said. [4:17] President Trump is not like any sane leader. [4:21] I'm very proud of General Milley for saying that President Trump is a total fascist to Bob Woodward. [4:29] If he is chairman of the Joint Chiefs is calling the president a fascist, I'm so proud of him for breaking that barrier. [4:39] The challenge is because most MAGA Republicans, they don't understand what fascism is. [4:48] The reality is that they are, in fact, fascists themselves. [4:54] Did I read that accurately? [4:58] Senator, I am happy to discuss my personal perspective with you separately at any time. [5:04] That's not the purpose of the hearing today. [5:06] Did I read that accurately? [5:08] I believe so, yes. [5:09] Yeah. [5:12] You think you're smarter than the American people, don't you? [5:16] Absolutely not, Senator. [5:17] I am here to discuss the use of the military as part of this mass deportation. [5:24] You think you're more virtuous than the American people, don't you, General? [5:29] Senator, I am insulted by your comment. [5:35] Duty, honor, and respect. [5:39] You talked about that in your opening statement, didn't you? [5:42] Yes, sir. [5:45] Ms. Moran said, I wrote down her words. [5:52] She said, by their actions, you know what someone's character is like. [5:58] You agree with that? [5:59] Senator, for 35 years, I served my country with absolute honor and distinction, and I [6:05] will continue to do so. [6:08] Do you agree with what Ms. Moran said? [6:13] Of course. [6:16] Mr. ... I've got a few minutes left. [6:21] 23 seconds. [6:23] Well, actually, you let Ms. Kovachar go well over, so I'm assuming you'll extend me the same [6:28] purpose. [6:28] I'll give you the same minute I gave to her. [6:30] You gave it a minute 20 at a time. [6:33] You're using ... [6:34] I watch you like a hawk, Dick. [6:37] Mr. Melnick, Mr. Reikland Melnick. [6:40] You believe in open borders, too, don't you? [6:42] I do not, Mr. Kennedy. [6:43] Okay. [6:45] On November 1st, 2022, you tweeted, both Texas and Louisiana have their knives out for black [6:58] immigrants. [7:00] Do you remember that tweet? [7:01] I don't, but it's quite possible. [7:03] What Texans ... It's not only possible, it happened. [7:09] You're not denying it, are you? [7:11] No, I'm saying, referring to the context. [7:14] I actually don't know the context. [7:16] Who are you talking to about ... Who in Texas had their knives out for black immigrants? [7:24] Guessing the context, but my suspicion is ... [7:26] Give me a name. [7:27] ... it has to do the ... [7:27] Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Attorney General of Louisiana. [7:30] Give me a name. [7:31] I just did. [7:32] You don't have a name, do you? [7:33] I just said Ken Paxton. [7:34] You don't have a name, do you? [7:35] You just said it, did you? [7:36] I just said Ken Paxton. [7:38] All right. [7:38] How about Louisiana? [7:40] You said Louisiana has its knives out for black immigrants. [7:44] Who in Louisiana were you talking about? [7:46] Again, I'm not certain. [7:47] That was two years ago, and as I'm sure you know, much has happened in the last two years. [7:51] Well, did you say it? [7:52] Again, I do not remember the context, Senator Ken Paxton. [7:56] You said somebody had their knives out from Louisiana for black immigrants, but you don't [8:00] know who they were? [8:01] You just said it? [8:02] I said the Attorney General of Louisiana and Texas, and I believe this referred to specifically [8:08] lawsuits brought and arguments that were made in court that the arrival of Haitians and [8:13] others were inherently dangerous. [8:13] I'm out of time, but I want to get you on the record. [8:15] Thank you very much, Senator. [8:17] Appreciate your questions. [8:17] I believe that the Attorney General at that time of Louisiana had his eyes not [8:23] knives out for black immigrants. [8:25] That's your testimony. [8:25] Thank you, Senator Kennedy. [8:27] Yes. [8:27] Senator Hirono. [8:29] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [8:31] He starts off with his classic warm-up act. [8:33] He brings up Andrew Arthur from the Center for Immigration Studies, and right out of the [8:37] gate, Kennedy hits him with, CIS is a nonpartisan think tank, right? [8:42] And Arthur goes, yes, sir. [8:44] Nonpartisan? [8:45] The Center for Immigration Studies? [8:46] Are you kidding me? [8:48] CIS has spent decades acting as the intellectual engine for hard-line anti-immigrant nativism. [8:54] But sure, John, totally neutral. [8:56] Then Kennedy tees him up. [8:58] The border is an open, bleeding wound, isn't it? [9:01] And that's all Joe Biden's fault, right? [9:03] And Arthur basically nods along like a dashboard bobblehead. [9:06] It's not an inquiry. [9:08] It's an ideological echo chamber, paid for by your tax dollars so Kennedy can get a clean [9:13] 10-second soundbite. [9:14] And then he pulls this incredibly cynical move. [9:18] He asks Arthur if someone waiting in line for legal immigration under Biden is basically [9:22] a chump. [9:23] A chump. [9:24] Think about the sheer bad faith in that framing. [9:27] You have an administrative court system that is starving for resources, asylum seekers fleeing [9:32] horrific violence, exercising their legal right to seek refuge, and families stuck in [9:37] decades-long visa backlogs because Congress, specifically people like John Kennedy, refuses [9:42] to actually fix immigration. [9:43] And what does he do? [9:45] He points at two groups of vulnerable, desperate human beings and tells them, hey, be mad at [9:50] each other. [9:51] It's gross. [9:52] It's just fundamentally cruel. [9:54] But then, oh, then comes the main event. [9:56] Kennedy turns his sights onto this retired general who was called to testify. [10:01] And remember why the general is there. [10:03] He's there to talk about the terrifying constitutional danger of using active-duty military troops to [10:09] round up civilians for domestic mass deportation. [10:12] Real, heavy, terrifying stuff. [10:15] So what does Kennedy ask? [10:16] You believe in open borders, don't you? [10:19] The general just looks at him and calmly goes, I believe in the rule of law, sir. [10:23] Kennedy doesn't know what to do with that. [10:25] So he digs into his folder and pulls out an old CNN interview where the general agreed with [10:31] General Mark Milley's warnings about authoritarianism and fascism in the MAGA movement. [10:36] Kennedy reads the quote like he just cracked the Da Vinci Code, looks up and sneers, you think [10:40] you're smarter than the American people, don't you? [10:43] You think you're more virtuous? [10:45] And the general just stops him cold. [10:47] Doesn't stammer. [10:48] Doesn't dodge. [10:50] He looks Kennedy dead in the eyes and says, Senator, I am insulted by your comment. [10:54] For 35 years, I served my country with absolute honor and distinction. [10:58] Boom. [10:59] Mic drop. [11:00] Total silence. [11:01] I actually gasped out loud when I watched it. [11:04] Because you have this politician who spends every waking minute wrapped in the American flag, [11:09] lecturing everyone else on patriotism, and the absolute second, a decorated combat veteran, [11:14] says, hey, maybe don't violate the Constitution and deploy troops against civilians. [11:19] Kennedy turns around and insults his character on national television. [11:23] It is the height of cowardice, and watching the general refuse to bend an inch was just, [11:28] God, it was so deeply satisfying. [11:30] By this point, Kennedy is flustered. [11:32] The timer is ticking down. [11:34] His big viral moment just imploded. [11:36] So he desperately pivots to another witness over a tweet from two years ago. [11:40] The tweet said Texas and Louisiana have their knives out for black immigrants. [11:45] Kennedy starts barking, who? [11:47] Name names. [11:48] You don't have names, do you? [11:49] And the witness, totally unbothered, just goes, Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas. [11:55] And then explicitly explains the discriminatory lawsuits Texas and Louisiana brought targeting [12:00] Haitian asylum seekers. [12:02] Kennedy literally asked for names, got the exact name, and had nothing left to say except [12:07] scramble until his time expired. [12:09] It's just, it's exhausting, you know? [12:12] But it's also telling. [12:14] When these right-wing politicians are confronted with real constitutional experts, real policy [12:19] facts, and people who actually respect the rule of law, their entire circus tent folds [12:23] in about four minutes. [12:25] If you appreciate breaking down this nonsense with real context instead of just eating whatever [12:29] soundbite the algorithms feed you, please hit that subscribe button down below. [12:33] It keeps this channel independent, keeps me sane, and lets us call out this political theater [12:38] together. [12:39] Drop your thoughts in the comments. [12:41] Did Kennedy completely humiliate himself here, or what? [12:44] I'll see you in the next one. [12:46] So we look forward to get another time. [12:53] Bye-bye. [12:54] So, see you. [12:55] So, let's go. [12:55] See you next time. [12:56] Bye-bye. [12:57] Bye-bye. [12:58] Bye-bye. [12:58] Bye-bye. [12:59] Bye-bye. [12:59] Bye-bye. [13:00] Bye. [13:00] Bye-bye. [13:00] Bye-bye. [13:00] Bye-bye. [13:02] Bye-bye. [13:13] Bye-bye.