Trump Goes Full Freak Show at Twisted Rally

[0:10] welcome, welcome, welcome to The Daily Beast Live. I'm Laura Esposito. I'm Georgina DiNardo. [0:16] And wherever you're tuning in from, we are so grateful. We have so much to cover today. We are [0:22] two weeks out from the midterm elections, and President Donald Trump is traversing around the [0:27] country, making his last-ditch effort to cling on to the House and the Senate, and some of his own [0:34] candidates appear to think that he might be doing more harm than good. So we're going to get into [0:39] all of that and more. But first, I just want to say, if you don't already, please follow us, [0:45] subscribe, whether that's here on YouTube or on Substack or on our website, where our reporters [0:50] are digging into all the stories that you need to know. Thanks so much again. So, Georgina, [0:55] let's get straight into it. Yeah. So last night, Trump went to Kansas to [1:00] stump for Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who currently is neck and neck with his Democratic [1:05] opposition, Adam Hamilton, through multiple polls. It's looking like 48% to 47%, depending [1:12] on where it's been measured. Which is crazy, might we add. [1:14] In Kansas? [1:15] The concept of Kansas turning blue is something we haven't seen since, I believe— [1:19] 1932. [1:20] 1932. Okay. Almost a century. And here we are in a situation where Donald Trump has put up [1:28] candidates that are so problematic that it might be going that way, potentially. [1:32] Yeah. It's really crazy to see. And the fact that Trump has to go to Kansas to try and switch [1:38] this for MAGA and to make it more the still Republican stronghold really is shown in his [1:43] campaigning. But something he did last night, which was totally crazy, was he allowed MAGA [1:49] rocker Ted Nugent to join him at the rally, and Trump showered him in praise. Now, if you [1:54] don't know, Ted has a checkered past. He's admitted to having sex with underage girls. He even [2:01] married a 17-year-old with parents' permission, apparently, but all of this. On top of that, [2:07] he's attacked Barack Obama in ways that he's even admitted we're over the line. And he's [2:12] also had a lot of anti-Semitic pass and posts that he hasn't backed down from. So we actually [2:18] have a video of what Trump said about this rocker that I think we'd love to show right [2:23] now. Good. But he's been a friend of mine right from the beginning. He's a man that [2:29] gets it. He's a guy with common sense. He's smart as hell, actually. He plays the game [2:33] like, you know, oh, let's have let's be country and all. But the truth is he's country, but [2:38] he is one smart cookie and he gets it and he understands what's happening. Ted Nugent. [2:43] And it is true. I did want him here. I said, get Ted Nugent, put him on the phone if I have [2:59] to. Good. Thank you very much. And your son is a beautiful looking guy. Beautiful looking [3:04] son. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Ted. So, Laura, can you tell us a bit more about [3:11] Ted's past so we can really understand how crazy it kind of is of Trump to be endorsing [3:16] him like this? OK, so again, just to clarify what it is that we're doing here, Trump travels [3:22] to Kansas, which has always been for nearly, I mean, 100 years, a strong ruby red Republican [3:30] stronghold. He gets there because there is, for the first time in forever, this risk of [3:35] a Democrat winning a Senate seat. He's there to support his incumbent, Senator Roger Marshall. [3:42] And instead, he points out the term MAGA rocker will never cease to make me giggle. But he points [3:49] out to Mr. Ted and he says that statement and he's supposed to be shoring up support and being, [3:55] you know, as unproblematic as possible for Marshall. So for him to get into the weeds here [4:01] with this controversial character is just really, really interesting. And once again, [4:05] is why we see so many reports swirling around of these candidates trying to distance themselves [4:10] from Trump or saying, no, don't come, don't help us. Because when Trump comes, this is now the story. [4:17] Senator Roger Marshall is not the story anymore. Anyways, yes, as you mentioned before, [4:22] he himself has admitted that he has had sex with underage women. It's very important to note that [4:29] allegations have dogged the singer for years, but they've never led to criminal charges. [4:33] This also, though, can be true for a number of reasons. I mean, that's different statutes of [4:38] limitations across different states for reporting sexual violence and numerous others. I mean, in 1998, [4:45] Nugent himself said in a doc with VH1, quote, I was addicted to girls. It was hopeless. It was beautiful. [4:54] He also boasted that, and I'm looking at this exact quote here, he had received the stamp of approval [5:00] from girls' parents before having sex with them. He said, quote, I guess they figured better Ted Nugent [5:06] than some drug-infested punk in high school, unquote. Other allegations have come from celebrities [5:12] themselves, including iconic grunge star Courtney Love and the widow of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. [5:21] Love has repeatedly alleged that she performed a sex act on Nugent when she was around 14, I believe. [5:28] She said on the Howard Stern show that she was, quote, really young when this happened. He has, [5:33] of course, denied it, but she has asserted that this was something that went down when she was younger, [5:37] that she was not developed at all, that she was really, really young. And she also alleged at [5:43] certain points throughout her career that she remembers from this incident being in a line [5:48] alongside other women, other young women, minors, Beacon and Prince, where they were all waiting to [5:56] perform sex acts on this man, this MAGA rocker. So yes, Trump found a kinship with him. As we know, [6:06] Trump himself has had a lot of allegations leveled against him for decades. [6:12] But as you bring up, Laura, though, you know, there's, it's a really crucial time in Kansas right [6:17] now. You know, we had mentioned that it hasn't gone blue since 1932. And to think that we're at this [6:23] neck and neck race right now, it's really vital, everything that happens and bringing Trump out [6:28] to Kansas to campaign for Roger Marshall should be talking all about why Roger Marshall is the [6:34] candidate you should vote for. It should be focusing on his accomplishments and that. But instead, [6:39] Trump is making it, you know, about this artist who is not someone we want, we really are looking [6:46] up to with all of these allegations. And as, as Laura mentioned, you know, like, he has admitted to [6:51] having sex with underage girls, but there have been no criminal charges. And we want to make [6:55] that very clear. However, there, he did plead guilty, guilty to a misdemeanor in Alaska, [7:00] for illegally possessing and transporting a black bear. So I don't know if that's something with [7:06] MAGA and Maha, you know, RFK Jr. having some weird thing with animals. But there's also that. [7:13] And then there's just so many, like, disturbing things about this guy. I mean, if we look back, [7:18] um, to some of the other controversies in 2014, while actually campaigning for Greg Abbott, [7:24] which we can get into a bit more of Texas politics later as we catch up on some of the [7:28] midterm, uh, polling. Um, but Nugent called President Obama a subhuman mongrel, a Chicago [7:35] communist, and a community organizer gangster. Um, he did admit that he crossed the line with [7:42] the subhuman mongrel comment. But in his apology, it didn't really feel like an apology to Obama, [7:48] as he literally said, I do apologize, not necessarily to the president, but on behalf [7:53] of much better men than myself, like the best governor of America, gov Rick Perry, the best [7:58] attorney, an eternal general in America. Um, so with all that, that also wasn't even the first [8:03] time he attacked Obama. Two years previously, he had to do an interview with the Secret Service [8:07] because he had said, if Barack Obama becomes the president in November again, I will either be [8:12] dead or in jail by this time next year. Um, so clearly this whole checkered past, but I mean, [8:18] Trump is not, you know, new to insulting Obama. Um, but also on top of that, there's this slew of [8:24] racist, um, and antisemitic attacks that he's gone on. In 2016, he posted a photo collage on Facebook [8:30] of a dozen politicians, um, with the Israeli flag over them. And he had these really like heinous [8:37] comments with it saying, no, these punks, they hate freedom. They hate good over evil. [8:41] They would deny us basic human rights to self-defense and to keep and bear arms. [8:45] Well, many of them have tax paid higher armed security, know them well to tell everyone, [8:49] you know, how evil they are. Let us raise maximum hell to shut them down. So, you know, [8:55] antisemitic past with all of this. And it brings us actually back to the rally last night in a long [9:00] about way of saying that. Um, because Trump was also very antisemitic last night. Um, I think we [9:06] also have a video of this, if we can play of the remark that Trump said. And I have to say that [9:13] somebody said, Oh, don't say it. Nobody believes it, but I have to say it because I think it's [9:17] appropriate. Roger was given a real, I know the guy, he's one of the, he's a tough guy and all, [9:24] but he's also high quality and he's a fine person. And he was given a bum rap because he was mandated [9:30] by law to request strongly money owed from patients. You're not allowed not to do it. [9:36] You have to by law go after those people. And they made it like, Oh, he was some kind of a [9:41] Shylock type guy. And if he didn't make these requests, he would be breaking the law. He would [9:46] have been breaking a very strong criminal law and he would be subject to criminal arrest and liability. [9:52] And he didn't do it. Here's the law firm that did it. I don't know what they did. They're probably [9:56] tough, but they were mandated to be tough by the law and they gave him a bum rap. So I don't know [10:01] if I should be saying it, but that's the way it is, Roger. I have to tell it like it is. You got [10:05] screwed with that stuff. So if you're just tuning, tuning in also, we want to let you know to like, [10:14] comment and support the stream to help us. Right now we're talking about Trump's campaign rally in [10:18] Kansas last night. Um, and I'd love to pop up before we really dive into the antisemitism of the, [10:24] this, what the anti-defamation league, uh, posted today, where they described the term Trump used, [10:31] and the, as they say, the longstanding antisemitic stereotype that comes with it. [10:36] Um, it's also a reference to a Shakespeare play, the merchant of Venice, [10:40] from a character in it, who's a Jewish money lender. And he demands a pound of flesh from the [10:46] character to, um, unable to repay a loan. So definitely a long history of antisemitic stereotypes [10:53] throughout all of that. And, um, it's actually not the first time Trump has used this term. [10:59] Um, as we just saw the anti-defamation league, the ADL, they have also previously put, um, a [11:05] statement out before in 2025, when Trump used that term before, um, he used it at a rally in Iowa that [11:13] time, um, talking about his, when he was trying to praise his big, beautiful spending bill. Um, after [11:19] that, he ended up claiming, claiming ignorance, um, saying that he was not using it in an offensive [11:23] way, um, and that you can view the term differently. Um, and he hadn't heard it in that way. Do we think [11:30] he might try and do that again this time after using it again last night? [11:33] Um, I mean, I'm not gonna speculate on what, uh, Trump will or won't say at these campaign stops, [11:38] but I think just zooming out, it's not as though this is necessarily new for him to be using outlandish, [11:44] profane language, but things, Georgina are getting mean, meaner than we anticipated previously. [11:51] And I think we can look at the polling numbers. I see that someone has mentioned Donald Trump is a [11:56] deeply unpopular president right now. Who's Warren I ran is deeply unpopular. And also, um, his [12:02] candidates in a lot of, in a lot of states that used to be sure things are Republicans are not popular. [12:08] Um, we see him lashing out out of partially, I mean, perhaps fear. Um, Roger Marshall's campaign is [12:15] crumbling. Um, I mean, Bill Graves, for example, the former Kansas governor, he's been going out [12:21] there writing an op-eds and saying to constituents that it's okay to switch party lines. This is a very [12:28] right wing, traditional conservative Republican saying in not that many words, it's all right if you [12:34] don't vote for the MAGA candidate. Um, so, you know, there, there's Trump leaning on whoever he can [12:40] grasp, whether it's his friend, the MAGA rocker or defending, um, some charges that are leveled against [12:46] Marshall. I mean, he, what you just saw Trump mentioning was that this opponent, um, he sued [12:51] hundreds of his patients for unpaid bills, his doctor, resulting in the arrests of dozens of them. Um, [12:58] which has definitely contributed to, uh, Democratic candidate Hamilton and his prospects of flipping [13:03] this seat. We also have a lot of interesting questions here that I've been going through. Um, [13:08] and I, I saw that someone mentioned as well that would, uh, a little bit of a side note if we think [13:14] that any Republican candidates would announce presidential runs before 2027 ended. Um, again, [13:22] like I think it's a bit difficult to speculate there. Um, I understand that, I, I understand where [13:27] you're coming from in a sense because of how unpopular Trump is. And I think that we saw a lot [13:32] more a couple of months ago, this battle between, uh, Vice President J.D. Vance and, uh, Secretary of [13:36] State Marco, Marco Rubio. We heard Trump calling people up asking which he would prefer, um, to [13:43] endorse in 2028. Um, that's kind of died down. I think that Republicans are really just trying to [13:49] put all their focus into getting, keeping whatever representation that they can in the House, [13:55] in the Senate, in governorships. Um, so do I think that anyone's going to run for president, [14:01] um, or announce or run for president in December? If I had to guess, I'd say no, [14:05] but I don't want to guess because really in the world of MAGA where everything's kind of plummeting [14:09] right now, never say never. I mean, I think for that question, which is a great question, [14:13] so thank you so much for asking and please feel free to drop any questions or comments you want [14:17] us to answer or address in the chat. Um, but I think that is something that will have a lot better of [14:23] an answer to post midterms because right now it, I don't think it would be smart for Republicans as a [14:29] whole to try and announce a bid before the midterms or even nearby when they're on such a shaky hold [14:35] and they really need to focus on just, like you said, Lauren, maintaining what they have. And if [14:40] it's then someone launches a bid, whether it's Marco Rubio, JD Vance, even there was on Inside Trump's [14:46] head with Joanna Coles and Michael Wolf, we had some talk about Pete Hegseth's, uh, potential 2028 bid. [14:53] Um, so tune into that to see some more analysis. Um, but if we have any of that, it just splits MAGA [15:00] even further and makes it hard, um, to focus on what they're trying to do, which is retain power [15:06] and control. Um, we've seen in certain instances, um, the right and the Republicans start to kind of [15:14] give up on certain races and focus all their efforts on places where they're really, really doing their [15:18] best to retain. Um, I know that in North Carolina, they've been, um, there's been a lot of conversations [15:23] around whether the candidate, the Trump nurse candidate there, Michael Watley even has the [15:27] chance anymore. I know in Georgia with the democratic star and potential 2028 Georgia [15:32] Senator John Ossoff, um, there's been questions whether or not Mike Collins is really a fight [15:38] worth having anymore on the Republican sides of things. Um, but still there was also a question in [15:44] the chat earlier as well, asking as all this money is being poured into all these races from the likes [15:48] of MAGA Inc, which is the Donald Trump aligned, um, super PAC, as well as a little someone called [15:55] Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, pouring millions and millions of dollars everywhere, [16:00] including Texas, um, in an unprecedented surge. Um, I mean, that's why you see, uh, democratic [16:09] candidates, even, um, those who are leading the polls remaining really vigilant and, you know, [16:13] fighting, fighting this battle because the battle is still an uphill one. I mean, being inundated with [16:18] all this money, it really, really is significant when you're in the flood zone with ads everywhere. [16:23] I mean, also something that I do think that we sleep on a little bit is Trump famously, [16:29] ever since he kind of joined the political fray, um, and 2016, 2015, he's famously underperformed in [16:37] polls. I know that pollsters are saying, Nate Silver, for example, this big blue wave is coming, [16:43] but we've seen so many, in so many instances that Trump did so much better than what lots of [16:49] pollsters across the country thought he was going to do. So, I mean, the same could be said for this [16:53] big blue wave that so many different gurus, data gurus are, um, predicting will arrive upon us soon. [17:00] I mean, I mean, that's a good point. You know, we can talk about it and analyze it and do everything, [17:05] but ultimately in the end, we don't know what will happen. You know, we have these polls, which, you know, [17:11] they have credit, you know, different polling institutions also have their own biases and [17:15] everything, but it seems like, you know, we have these numbers right now, but we don't know. Like, [17:20] like you said, Trump has in the past been pulled not to win and then come out victorious. So there, [17:27] that there's always that possibility there, but you had brought something up earlier, Laura, [17:30] that I wanted to touch back on. You had talked about Graves, um, going on CNN and turning all, [17:36] like endorsing Hamilton, basically back in this Kansas race. And it was a very interesting thing [17:41] to see how like, he's telling GOP voters that it's okay to cross party lines in this race and this, [17:47] what could be a historic race. And we actually have a really interesting comment here that this [17:51] reminded me of from Mary Beth stack saying that here in Kansas, the ads are set to music about [17:57] Roger Marshall, very negative. So looking good, I think for the Dems. And that again, [18:02] brings us back to if this blue wave comes great. Um, but you know, I haven't been to Kansas. I don't [18:07] know if you've been to Kansas recently, but good to hear that stuff is like that. [18:11] Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, yes, in speaking about Graves, uh, he saved some really, really [18:18] sharp words for Marshall, um, telling Burnett quote, what an incredibly poor job Roger Marshall [18:23] has done as an incumbent United States Senator. I have yet to understand what platform he is running [18:29] for reelection on. Um, and he also said that in this instance, when it comes to Kansas, uh, [18:36] potentially flipping blue, we have the right candidate. He has the right message. Um, really, [18:42] I mean, that's an extraordinary comment to make from a former Ruby red, right wing governor in a [18:48] very right wing state. Um, he also, he also called Donald Trump rallies and these campaign stops that [18:54] he's been making in this last ditch effort. Um, a bit of a side show, a kind of a carnival. You never [18:59] really know what's going to happen, which is why so many candidates have been so nervous about having [19:05] Trump in their state in the first place, because things are just so fast and loose. You don't really [19:10] know what's going to happen. And look, the same could be said for vice president JD Vance, who also [19:14] ran into a bit of trouble while on the campaign show up for some of these losing candidates, including [19:19] North Carolina candidate, Michael Watley. If we want to talk about that a little bit, Georgina. [19:24] Yeah, sure. I mean, I don't think we have a video of it, but there was a protester when Vance was in [19:29] North Carolina, also trying to stump helping midterm chances. And this protester came up, um, [19:35] and he was right behind Vance, um, like right behind his head. And he ended up, uh, it was right [19:41] when Vance was saying that the country, this, uh, sorry, the Biden administration subjected this [19:46] country to woke insanity for years. The man then stood up behind Vance in the crowd and yelled about [19:50] releasing the Epstein files saying, God bless our children. Um, which is something that with [19:55] everything going on, the Epstein files seem to also have not had the same attention that they [20:00] once had in this news cycle, which as we've talked about before has been a total thing of distract, [20:04] distract, distract by the Trump administration. Um, so seeing protesters showing up to these rallies and [20:09] drawing it back into the light is, you know, of course that also then steals the thunder of what Vance [20:14] was trying to do. Um, but Vance then right after that, um, instead of being, you know, professional [20:20] and moving forward, he said, ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to have to amend something I said earlier. [20:24] Um, I said that we have a zero illegal border crossings in the United States of America, [20:28] but one isn't bad, right? Implying that the man who was protesting, um, was an illegal immigrant. [20:35] Um, and then of course supporters in the crowd laughed, um, at this distasteful attempt at a joke. [20:41] And, um, like, yeah, again, just implying the man wasn't illegal immigrant simply because he [20:46] wasn't white. Um, so we're seeing all of this stuff come out, which really goes back to your [20:51] point about seeing all the hate and vitriol that we're seeing from MAGA across this whole campaign. [20:56] Um, and again, just want to say thank you to everyone for tuning in. I'm Laura, [21:00] that's Georgina, and we're unpacking what's been going on as Trump and Vance and everybody else is [21:04] traversing the campaign trail in a last ditch effort to retain control, um, with the upcoming midterm [21:10] elections. So in our comments section, I've been perusing through, um, first of all, I want to [21:15] shout out my New Jersey pals, um, as I've born and raised New Jersey and love y'all so much. [21:20] Um, and also shout out the Pittsburgh. Yeah, the Pittsburgh as well, where I used to live too. [21:25] Um, and also I see some people from Denmark. I see some Greenland comments in the chat. Very, [21:30] very fair. Um, you're talking about the feelings being reflected towards the president within, [21:35] um, Denmark, given the Greenland of it all and makes sense. And also I think it was [21:41] Terry who made an interesting comment, um, which I have been seeing. There has been some [21:44] record turnout in early voting and in a lot of these states, uh, that have been really, [21:49] really up for grabs. Um, places like Texas, places like Georgia, we've been seeing, [21:53] you know, records being shattered as people are coming out in full force. Um, [21:58] anyways, Georgina, you mentioned the vitriol and like the loaded comments again in Trump's America in [22:04] the past 10 years. This stuff is not exactly new. Um, well, bringing us back to last night, [22:09] even. Yeah. Yeah. Again, not to bring it back to Kansas, but I, I just can't wrap my head around [22:13] the fact that, you know, there's a possibility it could go blue. Um, but with all of this, um, [22:19] J.D. Vance was the only one spreading this hate. Trump also, uh, waged another attack against Obama, [22:24] which just, it feels old at this point. Donald Trump loves to talk about [22:28] Barack Obama and that is a tale as old as time. Yes. It is his fallback plan. It seems [22:34] not Obama Biden. Um, but he was saying, sorry, I'm just trying to pull up in the notes. Um, [22:40] but yes, he launched in this crazy word salad of what was supposed to be an attack on Obama. [22:46] So I'm going to say his quote. I'm sorry if it doesn't make much sense. Um, Trump said, [22:51] and here's what I love because if you've ever heard of Barack Hussein Obama, of course, [22:55] music, his middle name is Trump always does. We should just be calling Trump John, by the way. [22:59] Um, but anyways, um, Trump said, who's a rotten president, by the way, he's going to be testifying [23:04] for Mohammed. Um, and then he said, he's going to be testifying, or I guess I think he'll probably [23:09] end up being testifying. I don't know whatever the hell he's doing, but I guess he's going up to [23:13] Michigan, a state that I won also very nicely. Thank you very much. I love Michigan. I don't believe [23:18] that Michigan values are going to allow this guy to get in. He's an arrogant guy, but Barack Hussein [23:22] Obama is going up there to help him campaign. Just completely watching his train of thought [23:28] everywhere and just trying to get in as much kind of hatred as he can through this. [23:34] Absolutely. And I think that, uh, a part of this, um, definitely has to do with the fact [23:37] that it was reported last week that, uh, former president Obama is also going out there, um, [23:42] on the campaign trail alongside Democrats. Um, um, notably with Abdul Al-Seged, who is the, [23:48] the, he's soaking the ire of Republicans, I think more than any other candidate right now. [23:53] Um, his name is Fox News is pretty much making his name synonymous with, uh, the likes of Hassan [23:58] Piker. Um, which is, I mean, they campaigned together maybe three times during the primaries, [24:04] if that. Um, but don't want to get too onto that, onto that side of things. But yes, so Obama, [24:10] as he's going out into the campaign trail, I do believe that, uh, Trump is really getting [24:15] frustrated with the concept of that. And also it is important to note that the Democrats, as, [24:21] as we prepare for what some people are saying will be this big blue wave coming, [24:26] I think it's notable that the leader of the Democratic Party is still Barack Obama, who has, [24:31] who has been out of office now for a very long time. Um, even if things turn out in the Democrats [24:37] favor as they want it, as people think that it will, um, they're still very, very obviously [24:43] searching for an identity because a former president from several terms ago, still, um, [24:49] being the star of the campaign trail, it's, you know, it's, it's a party that really has kind [24:54] of lost itself along the way. So, I mean, we're seeing a lot of these stars. Abdul also got a lot [24:58] of people have been comparing him to Barack Obama, John Ossoff in Georgia, another flailing Trump [25:03] candidate he is facing off against. But I mean, he's also possessing that kind of star power that [25:08] people often equate to, um, the likes of Obama and that period of time. Speaking of John Ossoff, [25:14] you had a couple of great exclusives last week, Laura, that I would love to talk about. And of course, [25:18] if you want to read the full stories, please go to the dailybeast.com. Uh, Laura did some fabulous [25:22] reporting, um, exposing some really interesting and disturbing, uh, ties about Mike Collins. Um, [25:29] could you tell us a bit about that? Yes. So I've been reporting on Mike Collins, who's running, [25:34] attempting to unseat, uh, Democratic Senator John Ossoff in Georgia, which is for a very long time, [25:39] been a purple, very swing state. Um, I received a tip about a month ago about some people that were [25:45] associated with, um, the Collins campaign. And I mean, just for context, Collins has been plagued [25:51] since the start of his campaign with so, so, so many controversies. I mean, we were talking about, [25:56] uh, anti-Semitic rhetoric and as well as, um, nationalist rhetoric and, uh, white supremacy [26:02] comments. He's been tied to so many people with such extreme views that has been very, very problematic [26:09] for him. But despite that, he has been Trump's pick, uh, Rep Collins for a very long time. And [26:14] he's sticking with it. Um, but anyway, I received a tip about a month ago about, um, certain ties that [26:20] he had people in his campaign, um, leaders of his campaign. In fact, that ties to a, um, a group, [26:26] a very, very right wing extremist group founded by the leader of, of the KKK, one of the big leaders [26:32] of the KKK. Um, so reporting that I did a couple of weeks ago, I exposed that. I talked about these convoy [26:38] captains. So modeled off of, um, Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, Collins has these things [26:43] called convoy captains. So in counties across the state of Georgia, he's essentially, um, [26:49] putting one person in charge of mobilizing these grassroots, uh, efforts to kind of coalesce and [26:55] bring people out to the polls for him and against Ossoff. So several of those leaders have ties to this [27:00] organization founded by this KKK leader, which is just absolutely stunning. I mean, I uncovered photos [27:06] of people posing with Nazi salutes, um, people who had been tied to, um, people in different [27:13] campaigns who had just flat out said that they were associated with the KKK were almost unapologetic [27:19] about it. I mean, this one, this, this guy, um, Chester Doles, who was a huge leader in the 90s and [27:24] the early 2000s, um, of the KKK, he was convicted of assaulting a black man in the early 2000s. [27:32] He's been very, very open about the fact, signing the Washington Post at certain points, [27:36] um, that he was, you know, fully part of the KKK. We saw him at, um, the rally in Charlottesville in [27:42] 2017. Um, he ran for office in Georgia as well, a few years back. So he ended up starting this [27:49] organization and several, several people in, uh, the Collins camp were a part of it. Um, after that, [27:56] about a week later, I got another chip that there were several other people of these convoy captains that [28:01] I mentioned previously who had some really disturbing criminal backgrounds. And notably, [28:07] and I want to put up, pull up the quote here, um, Brett Benny Langham, he is one of the convoy [28:12] captains that I mentioned. He pleaded guilty to felony cruelty to children, sexual battery, [28:17] and family violence in 2014. Um, according to court documents that I obtained, um, the charges stemmed [28:24] from incidents involving Langham's stepdaughter, who was younger than 16 at the time. Um, he did not [28:30] respond to questions from me and he was sentenced to 30 days in prison and 10 years of probation. [28:36] So ties to white nationalism, ties to disturbing, disturbing convicted charges with, with young [28:46] women. I mean, uh, I should note that the Collins campaign told me, um, in a comment that they [28:51] wanted to stress that these people were not paid and that, um, Mike Collins did not vet these people [28:56] himself and was not aware of their criminal backgrounds or their ties to this white nationalist [29:01] organization founded by a member of the KKK. But either two things can be true. I saw the, [29:06] I saw that the Atlantic journal constitution did an op-ed about our pieces that we reported here. [29:12] Um, either Collins knew, um, and he didn't care or he didn't care enough to go searching, [29:19] uh, these convoy captains backgrounds. And I think that that is really telling as well. [29:24] And again, this is not the first time that he's been faced with any sort of allegations like these [29:28] in August racist online posts from Preston Parra, who interned for Collins in 2024, before working [29:34] for the lawmakers pack until May, 2025 were on earth, including images, depicting himself as a [29:40] KKK member, uh, and sharing swastikas. So we should note that Parra defended his post to the Washington [29:46] Post as quote satirical and intentionally provocative. I don't really know how dressing [29:52] like a member of the KKK is satirical. And also, um, in his own, I believe it was his son-in-law, [30:01] um, posted a slew of really racist, hateful, anti-Semitic posts that were on earth very recently [30:07] as well. I believe it was in August. Um, Collins has had a lot to answer to. [30:11] Yeah. And at a very crucial time for this all to happen. And we've had a lot of great comments [30:16] coming in as you've been talking all about this. Um, talking all about Ossoff, um, Collins' competitor, [30:23] as you're saying, in the Georgia race. Uh, people are saying, we have here, uh, Cherry does fun stuff, [30:28] says Ossoff hits the nail on the head repeatedly. Um, uh, Lilchi721 says Ossoff seems to know what he's [30:35] talking about. And then we also have, um, someone else saying Ossoff is one of the good and great [30:41] candidates at the moment, such potential. So seeing all the support that we have right here [30:45] for Ossoff and then all the allegations coming with Mike Collins, um, I know we can't predict [30:51] what we think is going to happen with the polls or with Georgia, but what can MAGA do in this moment [30:56] for them? Like they're trying to save the seat and it feels like it's not working with these [31:00] allegations now emerging. Well, I mean, Rep Collins from the, from the start was, was fighting a losing [31:06] battle to try to unseat Ossoff. Um, and the polls have shown that Ossoff has leaps and bounds ahead. [31:13] Um, they've been facing off in a string of debates over the past two weeks. [31:16] Ossoff directly referenced a lot of our reporting that, uh, I did and other people here at the Daily [31:21] Beast, um, in his attacks. And it's something I actually asked our executive editor, Hugh, [31:29] at one point was Collins really isn't doing that well, according to a lot of experts and according [31:35] to the polls, um, in the middle of these debates, why does he keep doing them? And something that, uh, [31:39] Hugh said to me was last ditch effort. It's really like the only, the only time that he could really [31:44] face off here. Um, it doesn't really seem like it's helping according to the polls. I mean, again, [31:50] never say never, but, uh, Ossoff is being seen as someone who's like really, really, um, being thrust [31:55] into the national spotlight. I know that he's been, uh, fielding a lot of questions about people asking [32:00] him if he would run, if he would run for, um, 2028. He has said that he's not interested in [32:06] running for the president. And right now he's sticking to running for the Senate. So we will [32:10] see what happened, but I think in Georgia right now, it's especially not looking good. Um, another [32:15] race that's been, of course, so interesting to follow has been, um, another really ruby red state, [32:20] Texas. We have James Tallarico, um, facing off against the ever so embattled Trump candidate, [32:26] Ken Paxton. And what's been interesting is that Trump himself also appears to really [32:31] not be a fan of Paxton himself. He's constantly just roasting him, making fun of him saying, [32:37] I know, I know he's problematic. I know, but still it seems like Ken Paxton is not that much [32:42] of a fan of Trump either with all the hot mic comments we've caught him saying. Yeah. Yeah. [32:47] Um, it's, it's, it's very, very, very, very interesting because again, Trump has taken a true [32:52] social to fire a post that if, um, in the event that James Tallarico, who is someone [32:56] really also, you know, being thrust into the national spotlight, um, in, if he successfully [33:02] manages to turn Texas blue, at least one seat, Trump will blame Senator John Corrin, um, Corrin, [33:08] who he chose not to endorse. I mean, he chose Paxton, who was very, very embattled as the attorney [33:13] general of Texas, who was in the middle of a very, very, um, problematic and battled divorce [33:20] with his wife. I mean, nobody likes him in Texas, according to polls. He was a deeply unpopular [33:26] candidate, but once Trump endorsed him, that's where they were going. And Trump still is finding [33:31] a way to blame other people. Politico also had a really great story come out as I think the fingers [33:36] are already beginning to point at each other within the ranks of MAGA and the Republicans [33:40] for if this turns out poorly for them, who they're going to blame. Um, but that's Trump's way, [33:45] you know, always have, have a blame fall guy. Trump is not trying to blame Paxton, [33:50] though. Trump is trying to blame everybody else. Um, but Tallarico really seems to have a shot, [33:55] according to polls, neck and neck with Paxton of, you know, giving Texas a bit of a blue stronghold, [33:59] which again would be very extraordinary. And something that's also extraordinary there is [34:03] recently Barbara Bush. Um, the Bush dynasty has donated to James Tallarico, a Democratic candidate. [34:11] Again, I want to impart this upon our viewers, but I'm sure that they probably already know. [34:17] The Bushes are very, very, very, I mean, they're royalty in Texas. Um, [34:22] they were the ones who turned it Ruby Red in the first place. That is the dynasty. And the fact [34:26] that we see, um, according to public, public records, um, George Bush's own daughter donating [34:31] money to James Tallarico. And it's not extraordinary. It's not even the first time the Bush family has [34:36] kind of, you know, snub Paxton in this. Um, we talked about on our last live stream, actually, [34:41] which is still on YouTube. If you want to check it out, um, a couple of weeks ago about how, um, [34:46] Bush did not show up to this big GOP event, um, and has not given his support to Paxton, [34:52] which in a state like Texas means his support means a lot. Um, as you were saying, you know, [34:57] the Bushes really made Texas, this Republican stronghold and this place, um, for that has held [35:03] Republican very strongly ever since. So the fact that we're seeing not only Texas, Kansas, [35:09] all these States that we have seen very starchly red for such a long time, potentially turn blue. [35:16] It's crazy to think about. I'm here. I have the quote, by the way, um, that Trump posted on true [35:23] social. He said, quote, if Ken Paxton loses, it will be because of the weak and ineffective [35:28] political hacks like John Cornyn and Karl Rove, who have ineffectively opposed me for my entire [35:33] political career. Well, um, we will, we will see again, we cannot predict the future. [35:40] And something else that I thought was pretty, pretty significant today that, uh, came out in [35:43] the news is we're talking a lot about the vitriol and the anger in the, in the, in the final, [35:49] final stretch of these midterm elections. Um, remember Vivek, uh, as Trump called him, [35:55] Ramaswamy, uh, he's currently running in Ohio in a gubernatorial race, um, against Amy Acton. And [36:03] Amy Acton is running, um, as a Democrat. And something that she's really been pitching her [36:09] campaign off of his affordability, she's, you know, lifelong Ohioan. And she was very, [36:14] very open about the fact that her and her brother had lost, um, were taken out of their mother's [36:19] custody when she was 12 years old. Um, because she accused her, her stepfather, her mother's [36:24] boyfriend at the time of molesting her. Um, her mother, again, lost custody of her. Um, Vivek, [36:31] who, as we know, ran in 2024 for president and had a little hot streak for a second there before Trump [36:36] overpowered him, managed to recruit Amy Acton's mother and run a really, really controversial [36:42] attack ad on Acton this morning. It came out, um, in a way that we even saw kind of MAGA turning [36:48] in on itself and saying, you really shouldn't have done this. I mean, Acton's mother lost custody of [36:53] her and proceeded to stay with the man that Acton accused of molesting her when she was 12 years old. [36:58] And Vivek tracked down the mother, filmed an attack ad where Amy Acton's mother called her a liar, [37:04] told, uh, Ohioans not to vote for her and said, I love my daughter, but she's wrong essentially. [37:11] And this left many people, uh, Republicans in Ohio included deeply disturbed. Um, Acton's brother [37:18] issued a fiery statement, basically calling Vivek despicable. Um, but I saw this this morning and [37:24] I felt it was important to know. I know we haven't really touched that much on governor's races, [37:28] but this is just the kind of hostile environment and the final stress that we're in. And I think [37:34] that there also can be hope found and people banding together to say, all right, maybe that [37:40] was a little bit too far. I mean, I think you're exactly right, Laura. It goes back to a theme I feel [37:44] like we've been talking about a lot today. All the hatred that has just, I feel like keeps fueling all [37:49] these rallies. You know, I miss the days when it was like, um, you know, a debate and you would still [37:53] respect the other like sides opinion. Um, and you disagree, but politely. And now these attack ads [38:00] are, um, as Amy Acton's brother, I believe said, um, was that, um, he and his sister, Amy have not [38:06] spoken to their mother since that court battle when she was 12. So now digging, going through her past, [38:13] finding her mother, getting her mother who, again, it's been decades since she's spoken to, [38:17] to do this attack ad. You know, people are just saying it's crossed the line. And like, I think that's just [38:23] finding a base where we can finally, some people on both sides of the aisle agree that we have [38:28] crossed the line at points is actually very interesting in today's climate. You know, [38:32] sometimes I feel like it's hard to get people to understand what that line cross is and seeing [38:36] like people bipartisan on both sides of the aisle really agreeing with that. [38:40] And we should note that, um, me as a journalist, I have not independently verified, you know, [38:44] any allegations that Acton has leveled against her mother. But I mean, what we do know is that she [38:48] hasn't spoken to her in a long time, according to Acton. Um, so again, [38:52] again, yes, according to Acton's brother in a statement that he released today. So again, [38:56] this just shows a lot of desperation on Magga's part. Um, everything that we touched upon today, [39:02] just last ditch efforts to get in as many jabs as possible. Um, and we want to thank you guys for [39:08] being along with us on the, for the ride. Um, two more weeks, people, and then we'll see, uh, [39:13] where we end off here with this big blue wave, whether it's coming or not. I'm Laura. [39:17] I'm Georgina and keep looking out for more Daily Beast live streams. [39:20] Yep. Thanks for joining us guys. Thanks for tuning in. [39:22] Thank you for tuning in.