726: Trump's Achilles' Heel - Will Trump's Pandemic Handling Make or Break His 2024 Fate?

Brian Nichols  0:16  
For 2023 and 2024, is it still Trump's GOP? Or is there a chink in the armor? Let's talk about that. Instead of focusing on winning arguments, we're teaching the basic fundamentals of sales and marketing and how we can use them to win in the world of politics, teaching you how to meet people where they're at on the issues they care about. Welcome to The Brian Nichols Show. Hey there, folks, Brian, with your con The Brian Nichols Show. Thank you for joining us on of course, another fun to build episode I am as always your humble host. Joining you live from our PNC Studios here in lovely, lovely Eastern Indiana and today we're going to talk about all things Donald Trump, the GOP and to help me do that welcoming us back to The Brian Nichols Show. Kenny Sony Welcome back, my friend.

Kenny Cody  1:04  
Hey, brown, please show me back home brother. I'm looking forward to speaking with you in a long time.

Brian Nichols  1:08  
It's been a while but don't worry, folks, we're going to be having these conversations much more frequently. Kenny and I are we're aiming for this right Kenny once a week you and I will sit down we'll go through some of the news of the week have a bit of a conversation you obviously coming from more of a conservative mindset and me trying to bring some of the libertarian perspectives here to the table and hopefully have some information that the audience can take away, leaving them of course educated, enlightened and informed by Kenny, before we go into today's topic of conversation, which is Trump and the GOP do us a favor. It's been a while like you said since you're back here on the show, reintroduce yourself to the audience. Guys, my

Kenny Cody  1:47  
name is Kenny Cody, I'm an economics teacher calls me high school. It's where I actually sit currently. I'm a columnist@newsmax.com. And the National polls.com had pieces written for townhall.com, The Washington Examiner the daily wire, and recently about two months ago Newsweek so pretty well versed and some professional outlets. And of course, I'm the chairman of the Cobb County Republican Party here in East Tennessee and the southern director for the Republicans for national renewal a nationalist populist approach to Republican politics and we're pretty active in that market and finding good candidates to run for our ideology as well. So that's me, then I've been a reoccurring guest on The Brian Nichols Show and glad to be back.

Brian Nichols  2:26  
We're excited to have you as a part of the family man, you're good people and we talked about surrounding ourselves with good people here on The Brian Nichols Show and I think we did a good job with you. And don't worry video fan, Ken. He's not in a penitentiary. It's just the design of the building he's in right now. So no, no fears there Kenny is, is locked up away. But But otherwise, Kenny again, thank you for returning to the show. And let's talk about your latest banger over on Newsmax. And that is Trump still defines the GOP now this was written shortly after the Caitlin Collins, Donald Trump interview, townhall debate whatever you want to call it, where Trump obviously just stole the night, right? I mean, Trump was able to be there on stage, command the room, get the audience involved, and they were cheering him. And you saw that the wind was just deflated out of the sales of CNN. Talk to us. Kenny, is Trump right now the absolute guaranteed front runner for the GOP or is there a chink in the armor is someone like a Ron DeSantis, who has been absolutely a stalwart down in Florida, able to take away some of his support? What are your thoughts?

Kenny Cody  3:36  
Trump's the guy that's completely my thought? You know, I watched the CNN town hall and was overtly impressed even from our standards. I mean, I'm a Trump guy that GAPI my knows that I am Maga that I'm a populist, and he's my dude. But I mean, he absolutely dominated a mainstream television program that garnered 3.1 million viewers. And I think a lot of that was because of these politically motivated questions. I mean, I think, you know, coming off the EEG and Carol case coming off the off the New York defamation case coming off of just a couple of different lawsuit controversies. I was a little bit nervous to be quite honest, I didn't know how Trump would respond off Acuitas attack the legal field, attack the person that who is, you know, attacking him. He did a little bit of that. I'm not saying he didn't. But the way he mastered it and made it look politically motivated, you know, point out things about this person and these and Alvin Bragg and Jean Carroll that were completely politically motivated. I mean, they had no ulterior ambitions, it wasn't for the good it wasn't for and not to attack these people. I mean, I'll attack Allen bribe, and I have no idea of the personality of EG and Carol. But the points that he brought up and making everything look exactly how it looks to the American public, you know, the two impeachments the, you know, the indigent the January 16, being portrayed off on him having January 6 protesters put in prison longer than a lot of people who are violent offenders have been and then you have the EEG and Carol on the album Bragg cases that just Look looks like our judicial system has been weaponized. I mean, it is it was very, very exemplary performance by him to make it look politically motivated. And then you've had policies of immigration policy such as foreign policy, especially which I think, ironically enough, was his best answer have nots. Yeah, he, you know, he came on Collins kept on pressing him about, you know, who do you think should win this war, you know, who you have to set, you have got to say you got to want to recruit Ukraine to win this war. He said, I don't want anybody to win this war. I don't want people to die. That should be the absolute answer for any Republican nominee for president united states. 2024. And in fact, it should be the answer to any democratic nominee, of course, they're going to cheer for Ukraine because Russia bad. But the parameter for the Republican nomination in 2024, should be we need to stop foreign aid to Ukraine completely. And we need to audit what we've already seen it and when to make sure that there are going to be no boots on the ground in Ukraine, Russia more from the United States military, and we need to work towards a peaceful resolution. And that's entirely what Donald Trump talked about in his town hall. And I know people get tired of this braggadocious nature, I know people out I've heard plenty of complaints like it would if I would have been if Trump would have been there, then this one I never would have happened if Trump would have been there out now. He wouldn't negotiate peace. But there is evidence to suggest that would probably be true. I mean, you talk about all all of the Middle East peace contracts, all the Middle East trees that were signed during the Trump administration, you talked about how we did he was the first president not to get us into a new war since the 1920s and 1910s. In literal decades, he was one of the first of the modern era not to get us into a completely new war interventions. So really, where was he false on that, and then he held bound to account on immigration. Again, he addressed the political motivated attacks on him as being looked at as at the American people see them as completely politically motivated, whether you're a Democrat or Republican, he didn't get arrested, because he's a private citizen. And these were just acts he got arrested because he was a foreign president, and he completely weaponized the judicial system in New York. So I think that you have to look on a broad basis of Is he the best nominee for 2024? Over though the declerck and guest candidates that are going to be I would say, yes, he leaves every single primary poll by 30 points or more DeSantis has sunk in the polling even though he hasn't announced yet, but he's expected to know announce next week. He's developed 30 points since just December. I think his strategy is poor. I think Trump's is immaculate. I think the only thing Trump needs to do now is probably get back on Twitter and get back on Facebook and be more active a little bit more on social media for the younger generation. But I think he's doing a great job so far. He probably continue to dominate either the debates.

Brian Nichols  7:35  
Now Kenny, I gotta give a little pushback here. I think the one area that Trump has just without a doubt, just dropped the ball. And that has been his approach and response to the lock downs and then the the aftermath of the lock downs. Now here's a recent truth social from Donald Trump when the Rhondda sanctimonious facts come out, you'll see that he is better than most Democrat governors but very average at best against Republican governors. How about the fact that he had the third most deaths of any state as governor on the China virus? Even Cuomo did better number four, he shut down everything, even his beaches, other Republican governors didn't look at the Disney mess could have worked an easy settlement. But no, he's wanted the fake news to show what a tough guy he is. He's not a Kenny. I mean, you and I both went through the past three years of the COVID Insanity and let's be real, right? A lot of the COVID Insanity was fostered and ultimately promoted. If we're going to be honest with ourselves promoted by Trump, he promoted lockdowns slash shutting the government down and shutting down localities shutting down businesses. He promoted the vaccine he promoted and then after he was done, was it he gave like a metal of something to Fauci, right. Like he was the reason that Fauci was the face of the lockdown response. So I guess, when it came to one of the most just damning things that we've seen over the past few years, or in recent memory, for that matter, I think just Trump failed, you know, across the board. And for me, that just seems like wouldn't that be for you as a conservative, a big red flag when you're looking at what I would dare say, has been the most important issue that has impacted every single one of us over the past three years.

Kenny Cody  9:20  
You know, one clip I keep coming back to because this has been a deadly criticism amount as well. And I wish Trump would kind of lay off when it comes to COVID. Because I mean, I was I was in Florida during COVID Quarter was open, it was free. And I'll have to I personally have no criticisms. It gets around the sense when it comes to COVID. But one, one quote that I remember and it comes from a mutual friend of ours is Peterson was asked in 2020. Why are you voting for Donald Trump? The first time he had he had voted actually for a presidential nominee of the Republican nomination in quite literally years. And his response he did a space or a Periscope or something I forget what the modal the the model that he used at the time was, I don't know if that's before faces or afterward. It's, but he he let his viewers come on his followers come on and ask them. And he said, more than any other president since FDR, he was offered the opportunity to be a fascist. And he was, he was offered more power through government power to implement lock downs on American martial law on the United States. And regardless of rhetoric, regardless of what he said to the press, and regardless of what he did, or tried to do or demonize people to do. He didn't use that power. He didn't declare martial law. He didn't make governors shut down. Now, government made their own decisions. Billy Ron DeSantis, Brian Kemp, other governors in other states, Chris Sununu, in New Hampshire, other governors made decisions. But ultimately it was left up to the states, which is which is ultimately the best part of republicanism, it's federalism. It's allowing states to do what they want to do madness and separate from the federal government. And I think that while I have my own criticisms of how Trump has a COVID crisis, we kind of forget with where the rhetoric shifted, because did Trump lock down? Or was he faulted for not locking down? Right, so Fauci was an advisor, okay, he advised me and he advised the health department's to do what they wanted to do. And yes, I agree that Fauci What was the reason that a lot of these governors decided to shut down, especially in democratic led states. But the fact that Trump did not force these governors to lock down and he could have you had a lot of Democrats, and you had a lot of those in state departments that wanted him to shut down that wanted him to do, we are overriding state law, we are overriding law in general, and we're going to shut down. And he was declared basically a nut for that one, the reasons why he lost the election in 2020. was because he was faulted for the COVID-19 process and people dying, because he didn't do enough, right. So my whole thing is, everybody made mistakes in 2004 here by mistakes that are COVID. And I was one of the most I agree with you completely I was I was among the colonists that were demonizing people who were locking people down in their homes and the state governors that were locking people down in their homes, but also have to sit back and reflect going well, at least my own governor had his own decision to make. And Billy Billy, I think did a great job here in Tennessee and not shutting down, he allowed businesses to make their own decisions about masking about indoor masking about opening back up or closing now and just doing drive thru whatever you might want to talk about there, or wherever you might want to tell you have an approach or a policy there. But ultimately, in a lot of states, it was of the state governors. And while I wish the Trump would have spoken out more against state governors that did have these authoritarian mandates needs for terian lock downs. Ultimately, he could he could have implemented his power as the head exerted with United States and shut us completely down and he didn't, and I personally am thankful for Trump for that. Now. Again, I think that his criticisms of DeSantis are unfounded. I think that dissenters did a great job during COVID. I think people like Bill Lee Brian camp, South Carolina's governor did a good job during the COVID 19 crisis in ensuring that there was no authoritarian mandates in those states. And I do not wish that he would just attack the Sanders facility for that. But ultimately, I think that the Trump idea that he shut people down and the even he had if he advised it, and yes, his words definitely may have encouraged governors to shut more down. Right. And I hate courage. Brett. He kind of defaulted God, Brian Kemp,

Brian Nichols  13:25  
whatever. Brian Kemp. Yeah, like, like, yeah,

Kenny Cody  13:27  
that definitely happened. And I fully agree that he should have done that. And he shouldn't went after DeSantis. He shouldn't run after Republican governors for opening up too early. I absolutely agree. That's one of my criticisms. But ultimately, I think it's going to be very difficult for Republicans to say that he was this authoritarian and he and that he empowered lock downs and all that kind of stuff when he literally had it in the palm of his hand, the things he could have done. And he would have been supported by most not only most Democrats, not only about most independence, but a about I would think about 30 Probably 75% Republicans at that time, other than libertarian kind of ideologies, like like you and me, in terms of our approach to government power, would have supported that decision, and he still didn't. And I keep on that every time I think of COVID and Trump, I keep on thinking back to that Austin Peterson quote, and I don't know if Austin still feels that way. I have no idea. But I key I was I was one of the his viewers that day, I was one of the followers that tuned in, because I wanted to hear what he had to say I had no idea that he was gonna support Trump between 20 and the fact that he said that he had it there, he had the option to grab that gun or he had the option to grab that bet lever push that button and say we are locking down the entire country. And he didn't do that. I have to respect that and it's gonna be very difficult for me to say that he empowered authoritarianism. I think he made mistakes. Absolutely. I think I think a lot I think a lot of governors a lot of politicians made mistakes. You know, I got I've never dealt with viruses. So I got the I got the vaccine Brown. I was one of the people who got the vaccine when I was a school employee here. I was a teacher. I'm looking back I wouldn't have got it but that was a mistake that I made right. Um, So I think that a lot of that was, well, he made a lot of mistakes as in any governor, any politician, any employee, anybody in United States made a lot of a lot of discretionary and bad decisions at that point. But I think that Trump definitely needs to lay off the attacks of COVID Just don't refer to it at all, if anything, because he again, had gay power. And I say to people like Fauci people like they were Burke's right I mean, that's a complete mistake. But I fall short in saying that he was the reason for lock downs and he was and what a lot of Democrats a lot of sense people argue that he was the reason for the for governors locking down when he did ultimately leave it up to state governors. That's really all we can ask for. He can't he can't say these people are shut down, then they shouldn't be shut down. So I'm gonna overturn they're shut down. That's also an override of federal government power. Right? I said that's leaving it to a state to do something. So I ultimately give credit for to Trump for allowing states to open up but I also criticize him for empowering people like never barks, and Anthony Fauci.

Brian Nichols  16:02  
I just get super nervous man because My great grandpa he used to have a saying it's like when, when people show you who they are, believe him and not only did he promote and really help support people like Fauci or Burke's or Ray Alinsky over at the CDC, but he also put people like John Bolton into positions of power he was cozying up with Lindsey Graham, even though he gives subtle jabs about Lindsey Graham being a rhino like he, he surrounds himself with people that we in the greater conservative libertarian, liberty movement, whatever you want to classify ourselves as here, he ends up putting himself in positions where he's buddying up with people that we rightfully point out as saying, no bad not good. Now, to the contrary, right? There are times when Trump does decent where he's on the debate stage in South Carolina pointing at Jeb Bush saying your brother lightest into war, and you're like, Oh snap, he said that or when he cozies up with folks like Rand Paul and able to get some of Rand Paul's ideas brought forth but at the same point in time, I see so much of the opposite as well, that I just I look at someone like Trump and I get very nervous, because I've seen who he has been over the past on that over the past four years. But back when he was in the White House for four years from 2016 to 2020. And I guess that goes to another part of my question here, Kenny, and that is going to one of the parts you raise up in the article. And that is the electability standpoint, right where we basically had in Kentucky where it Yeah, Kentucky where we had the recent primary and the Trump endorsed candidate clobbered the field. Right. But and that was against a Ron DeSantis endorsed candidate. But when we go back to 2020, or 2022, rather, when we had a conversation just after the election, we were going through all these different Trump endorsed candidates that got their butts kicked, right when we went to the actual general election, they may have won their primaries, but when your average voter started to go to the voting booth, and looking at different Trump candidates, whether it was Bolduc in New Hampshire, oz in in Pennsylvania, I mean, down in Arizona with the what was his name? The Yeah, masters, thank you, you saw that each of those candidates ended up getting their butts kicked. And I guess it goes to my next question is, are we looking at Trump as a representative of a base of Republican voters who are just they're on board with the persona, and not looking necessarily at the long term implications of the vote? Or is there something else here at play?

Kenny Cody  18:31  
Yeah, that's a good question. You know, they like to build an argument. As always, they're always very weird to me. And I think I actually tweeted about this a couple a couple of weeks ago. I think there are so many factors in 2020 and 2020, that we have to consider when we look at electability. So let's look at 2020. Right. Let's look at at the end loud, universal mail in let's look at let's look at the pandemic that was blamed upon Donald Trump. I mean, we had we had a we had the highest turnout in in United States history of in terms of voters, right. And of course, we all know that when voter turnout is high, Republicans lose no matter what that's been that's been true of all American history, when the turnout has increased in a state and a county or whatever, if there's Republican democratic close race every single time the democratic wins. Okay, that's one of the reasons why I think universal mandolins were allowed at the time, because the COVID-19 crisis and were pushed for so heavily by Democrats, because they don't get that gives them an inherent advantage. On average, it's like an 84 85% Democratic to Republican turnover to come to mail in ballots, whether it's military, whether that's absentee, through medical procedures, whatever. So now when you have universal mail ins gives an inherent advantage advantage to Democrats for 2020. Okay, so now let's look at the global pandemic of COVID 19. Okay, so a lot of the reasons that I think Trump was blunt was lost in 2020 moves because a lot of people blamed him for a disaster. Okay, whether it's been economic downturn, whenever a recessionary sort of economic period happens, the President always loses it's also another common trend throughout up American presidential politics is when there's an economic downturn. And I'm not talking about like a recession, I'm talking about an absolute downturn, loss of jobs, loss of jobs, corporate corporations losing money, people losing their jobs, all that kind of all that kind of stuff. And people are having to find their employee stocks going down, whatever you want to look at in economics, when it's something a huge downturn like COVID is affected by that affects the economy like that, the President always loses. So now we have two sets of economic of two factors that have affected Donald Trump negatively in 2020. Now, let's go ahead and 2024 You're going to have an incoming president who has a 38% approval rating on average for the RCEP. Okay, now, Trump's can be honest, Trump's is not much better. Right. I mean, it's not much better among the electorate, especially not among independents. However, when you're when you while you have the incumbency clause, while you have incumbents that are usually favored to be somewhat, you know, probably familiar, they're like on on betting odds favorites, Joe Biden's probably gonna be favored at that. 2024. I think that when you have an account that is so unpopular, it comes to can be a very bad thing. You know, it's kind of why a lot of Democratic voters, in terms of polling have said we want somebody else besides Joe Biden, okay, that would be asked about Barack Obama or Bill Clinton or anybody else, but a lot of stuff like 73% of Democrats, an alternative to Joe Biden. Now, Robert F. Kennedy doesn't have a chance. Okay, I want to make that. Perfectly clear, has an absolutely no chance. But the fact that dude is pulling double digits against an incumbent president is insane. Okay. I think it's very underrated, that he isn't saying that people could say, well, DeSantis and Haley and all of them are appalling. It's Trump. He's also been on Office for four years. He's the candidate. He's not the incumbent president. He's not the current office holder, right? So you have RFK going gets button. That's a pretty pretty revealing thing, that there's even somewhat of a percentage of the Democratic population who are inherently more powers in the Republican Republicans are Republicans finding law reasons to be at odds with themselves and at war with themselves in general, Democrats? Don't Democrats always pony up and get behind behind who their guy is every single time. And even they're finding faults in their current job. So now you say let's look at the 2020 midterms and the performances. So I think I actually come on this podcast and talked about how Lee Zeldin and Ron St. DeSantis were pretty much the reasons that the Republicans kept the house and that's absolutely true. We're, but I think I also remember saying something in the past. And I think I've said on your show, I think I've said on a couple others, that the reason the Republicans didn't do well, is because when Trump endorses somebody, and Donald Trump isn't on the ballot, people don't show up. No matter what you say your trump endorsed, you can sad Donald Trump backs me all this kind of stuff. But when you have a cold personality, like Donald Trump, that has endorsed you, but yet you're not on the same route as Donald Trump, you're gonna have trouble no matter what you are going to have a severe amount of trouble if a cult personality, Obama struggle with the same thing in 2010, when Obama was there and got elected in 2008, everybody loved Obama, all the candidates won, all the Democrats won and all that kind of stuff. That 2010 When the Tea Party movement became involved, it didn't matter who Obama endorsed, they all got beat, the Tea Party movement succeeded in the Senate, it succeeded in in state legislatures, and they succeeded in the House of Representatives and and and gubernatorial races as well. So when a when the GOP relies so heavily on the cult of personality, it can be a good and a bad thing. You rely very heavily on presidential election years now. It just so happens to be when this cold personality ran again, again, universal malins And I'm not gonna come out here and rant about how the election was stolen, all that kind of stuff. I'm not one of those guys. But I think it's it's hard to argue that in the universal maylands didn't affect Democratic turnout. That's a difficult argument for anybody, any independent to make it absolutely affected Democratic turnout and essentially beat Donald Trump. And I'll say it's really sandstone. That's the fact that if not as many Democratic voters would have voted to just join you, because you mail in ballots. Donald Trump won, I got beat. That's a thing we can all accept. Right now. That's why people are spiritually 2024. But I think Trump had two adverse circumstances that did not happen to most incoming presidents, you had an economic downturn because of a global pandemic that affected the entire world. And then you had universal mail lands. If you take those two factors. I don't know if any Republican period could have survived whether whether they're electable or not. I don't think that any Republican could have survived that or not only in Republican, any incumbent, it wouldn't matter if he was Democratic or Republican, he would have got beat no matter what because 2020 was a weird year and it will always go down as a weird year. So when I look at the electability argument, I just don't know how much of Da okay, because DeSantis is himself, a Trump and Dorsey. He himself is a Trump endorsed guy that won his primary and won the governorship because he was endorsed by Donald Trump. So how much is the electability argument really via if the reason that you're on the Senate succeeded, and the reason that he is the current governor of Florida, it was because of Donald Trump. How is that same guy more electable than the guy than the man himself? I'm not saying that. I don't necessarily believe that. The scientists may have a little bit more leeway with with independents not saying that the Trump does either. But it's hard for me to block the he is DeSantis is just this huge overturn of Donald Trump is I just don't I don't think that there's that domestic difference between the two, the two guys, I don't believe people are going to sit and I'm not going to vote for Donald Trump and I would vote for all the scientists. I don't believe there is a sustainable significant portion of our population are undecided voters. That would say that, because I think DeSantis is a Trump guy. And I know that the media is trying to separate the two right now. But I don't believe there's that much difference besides have decided maybe meaning a little bit more polished and has a really bad voting record in Congress. But besides that, I just don't believe that there's that much there. So when I look at electability, I understand the argument. And I get that a lot of people think that his answer is more electable. And in polling, I guess there is some sort of statistic statistical difference. But I just don't think there's that much in like winning or losing. I just don't I don't believe that argument,

Brian Nichols  25:53  
quote, I just find in trust me, I have my reservations with DeSantis. But I just I find that when I look at what DeSantis has been able to do as governor of Florida, while there are absolutely things from a libertarian perspective, I raise concern with, I also look to see that he has been pretty much 100% With a few exceptions, on the most important issue over the past three years, and then to look at a lot of the the unforced errors that Trump brings upon himself. Ron doesn't do that. Right. Ron Ron is running a very well oiled machine. He knows how to take on the media, much like Trump does, but he does it more in the carry Lakeway. He likes to turn things back on the reporters versus just saying, You're a nasty woman. Like he does things in, I guess, more of that, quote, politician type of way. But I guess going back to the electability standpoint, Kenny is that that's how, unfortunately, a lot of your average voters, they go to the voting booth looking for someone that they can trust, right, they know that their vote isn't going to be wasted. And I look at someone like Trump, and there is so much negative that goes along with him whether it's warranted or not, that I think we're instantly going to see a large portion of those independent, moderate or undecided voters don't drift away. And I I'm looking at that, from what we we've seen happen in the past, despite all the things that Trump has been able to try to do to rekindle his image. I think that that will always stick with him that the Trump persona for both the good and the bad, right, the good being, that for all of his supporters that are out there who were supporters in 2016, and 2020. And beyond, they're going to be supporting him in 2024. We know that, but to the folks who maybe supported him in 2016, jumped off the wagon in 2020, what is there to bring them back beyond just the the cataclysmic failure that has been the Biden administration, right. And if that's what we're foiling against, then I would say it makes more sense from the standpoint of not just an electability standpoint, but also actually being effective in government, and in governance with having someone like Ron DeSantis lead that ticket, because I've seen what he's done in Florida. And again, there are things that will raise fault with, but to see what he's done in Florida and done so so successfully. I think it speaks to he has the the acumen to take this to the White House. Now, this is not me endorsing DeSantis by any stretch of the imagination, but more so trying to call balls and strikes as we're looking at things today. I think for every positive that you raise up for Trump, there is an equal if not maybe a little bit more weighted negative. And we have to maybe address that going forward with the primaries obviously starting to tick up here as we get towards the end of 2023 into 2024. So let me ask you this, Kenny, because I'm looking at Ron DeSantis, and Donald Trump as the inevitable duo that we're going to be facing here throughout the primaries. But do you see anybody else in the GOP electorate right now that might stand as not naming RFK figure but someone who could actually, you know, toss in the proverbial hand grenade into this equation and blow things up someone like avec Ramaswamy or someone that hasn't even announced at this point? Anybody on your radar?

Kenny Cody  29:07  
I mean, you look at the declared candidates, I think you've got Trump, you've got scientists, you've got Nikki Haley, you've got MK pants, you've got Tim Scott, and you've got big Ramaswamy. I think those those are the people and then you've got ASA Hutchinson, between you and me and your audience, who cares? He's dropped out right now. Vivek is definitely somebody that I think can put him push the narrative I think I would be very interested in seeing because the veck is just so Trumpian so populous, but he comes from a private sector experience that I think could really be interesting in the on the debate stage and Trump in 2015, for what it's worth, right, exactly. So I mean, I think he's a very interesting figure. I've always I've actually like, liked and retweeted a lot of this stuff, but I think he has sort of a it's a weird thing he has he is very far libertarian on some things and also very, like very populist, very nationalist on all things which which is a very, very differing amounts of Have an ideological difference there. But I think the veck and maybe Tim Scott, maybe Tim Scott silly because I think he has sort of this moderate appeal. I think he has sort of this independent, like, tune in to that to independence, like learning how to reach learning how to speak, learn how to address criticism, things like that. I think that's a very interesting perspective that he comes from. So Tim Scott, the vivid Ramaswamy, I don't think Nikki Haley Harley brings anything to the table, maybe a little bit on diplomacy, if she was talking about your human experience or her experience as a governor in South Carolina, maybe. But I don't think there's anybody else really on the stage. I mean, it'll be I guess, kind of interesting to see human pants kind of trade blows back and forth on a debate stage about the goods, anything's going to actually help Donald Trump to be quite honest with you. I mean, January 6, stuff maybe like that might make Trump look a little bit better if he has to answer your questions or different approaches, as to pants. But especially when it comes to things like for the three issues to me, that a president deals with? Is the economy, immigration and foreign policy, right. Like, those are the three things that I think every President has got to deal with. And of course, you're who your cabinet is, and things like that. But to me, there's nobody better on foreign policy than in the entire field than Trump. I mean, you look at the census record, and Congress wasn't great. You know, that I think the best thing that the Census did when he was when he was in Congress was vote for Super ethnic Syrian withdrawal was I don't think he ever really advocated for. I mean, you have the next pretty well on it, but you haven't really seen any proof of what he would do. I mean, he has sort of perspectives and things like that. But then you have Trump who, like you said, did do things like hire John Bolton and things, but I mean, overall, was probably the best foreign policy president we've had since Calvin Coolidge in just in terms of foreign policy. I mean, I think he was the best we've had. We've had this since the 20s. The neocon immigration DeSantis was a little bit weaker than Trump on that, and he voted, he voted for, you know, he kind of has predicted like, maybe wanted to have amnesty, and you have evidence from Osama who was who was an immigrant who is pretty tough on foreign immigration. But it's also, you know, not really proven anything besides what he said in the past. And you have Nikki Haley, who was this fight is has pretty much promoted that she is okay with legal immigration and legal immigration, or people, their legal immigrants that are better than some Americans. So in terms of the the border problem right now, who would I trust the most on that? Probably, again, Trump, right. And then you have the economy, who's gonna press Trump on the economy? I think that argument comes from probably years perspective of the scientist since and how he handled the COVID-19 crisis, how he's brought business to Florida, and then how Trump kind of failed in like having Fauci and Birx and other other those in those in his administration, then you have the perspective of look how good the economy trip was under Trump before COVID. You have the whole DeSantis and Disney thing that's going on in Florida right now that a lot of people that are like me and you that people who are interested in the in the economy sort of have a sort of a problem with the government being involved in private business negotiations and private businesses, kind of operate operation in in Florida. So that's a sort of a buzzword problem. And if if Disney gets a win over Desenzano head that's gonna pick his candidacy. So I think probably if I had to pick, it's going to be DeSantis or Vivek, I'd say, and then Tim Scott, just for pure, how he speaks, how he appeals to the audience and how he appears to them until to the television years during the debates, but nobody really else. I think it is a two horse race, maybe like a one and a half horse race at this point. If you look at polling between Trump and DeSantis, and then I would be interested Kyle, in the same way that like you have Andrew Yang, I think that it's kind of like the Andrew Yang that he wasn't in the Democratic nomination. 2020. And then you have somebody like Tim Scott, who kind of come off as the, maybe the VP choice or a cabinet choice that the one of Trump or DeSantis is going to have, but it's really just a two horse race. And I do want to see these two men go back and forth against each other because I think iron sharpens iron. Ultimately, I think debate and discourse is a great thing. I was a debater in college. I think that's what formulates our views on foreign policy, foreign policy, immigration policy in general. So I think that the debates are gonna be very interesting. I'm looking very forward to them. And I think there's the forgotten people to work for guys to watch out for quite literally is it's avec it's DeSantis it's Tim Scott, and it's Trump and I think it's gonna be Trump and DeSantis for a final nomination.

Brian Nichols  34:20  
You got me smirking. They're the one and a half horses it sounds messy. But I know, Kenny, let's go towards our final thoughts here. And I'll kick things off. And I guess you know, I take the whole COVID thing, hyper personally, I guess, and maybe that's why I'm so fixated on it. And I mean, this kind of goes back I mean, granted, like I think I built most of my libertarian cred throughout the 2020s and today because of me being so vocally against what was happening with the lockdowns, namely, because I was living it right. I was living in Philadelphia at the time Blue City in Pennsylvania blue state, and not only seeing the government response to and many cases and the enablement from The Federal Government and why they were doing what they were doing, like, Oh, we're just doing what the CDC says we're just doing what Dr. Fauci says it's like okay, but also the fact that I, I felt it on the personal level right and like hyper real right folks, like we're gonna get very real right now like having my my father in law and mother in law, tell me like, I don't know if we want you at Thanksgiving without a mask on because you're not vaccinated. Right? That gets really uncomfortable having the your best friends, your groomsmen, in some cases, disown you or say, you know, oh, why are you making fun of people who are trying to save lives, you don't trust the experts and disown you, right? Like you feel? Sometimes, like you're on an island. And it's like, I'm taking all these slings and arrows fighting for what I know is right. And then I see someone like President Trump, who says he's on our side, but then in the most important time, just drops the ball entirely. And to your point, right, there are things he could have done better and there are things he probably cut down a lot worse, but I guess that's why I instantly started to gravitate towards someone like Ron DeSantis. Frankly thinks why folks like Thomas Massie out there have gravitated towards someone like Ron DeSantis. Because on this very, very important issue. DeSantis stands above all the other governors not based on what he did, but that plus him vocally speaking out against the insanity and explaining why right, bringing folks to the table like Jay Bhattacharya you know, from the Great Barrington declaration, and having conversations that were outside of the accepted three by far, far three by five opinion card, right, like being able to have these uncomfortable conversations, but do so in an honest manner. That really gravitated towards me. So I think going back to you know, why have I been so fixated on this entire conversation specifically pertaining to Trump and the lockdowns versus the Santas in the lockdown just because I lived through it, and I felt it. And I just I never want to see that happen again, not just selfishly speaking of what I've experienced over the past three years, but what I've seen friends experience I've seen loved one's experience. I've seen business owners experience, I mean, we've seen suicides skyrocket, depression skyrocket, drug abuse and substance abuse skyrocket, businesses closing left and right families, relationships, friendships destroyed, communities wiped out, like cultural entertainment, it completely new. And it breaks my heart to see that we, it didn't have to be this way, right. And Trump was the face of the response. And whether we like it or not, that's the reality. And that's what I think a lot of folks are going to be bringing to the voting booth, yours included, Yours Truly here included. So I guess that, you know, I tried to summarize my perspective here for this episode. Why? I've been a little bit of a thorn in your side today, Kenny, because I do think, you know, I am bringing forward an opinion that is held by a lot of folks out there, there's a lot of question marks, like I was much more open to voting for someone like a Trump when we were like circa 2018 2019. And then 2020 happened and I felt like all the trust that I had been building up there with him, was just ripped out from underneath me. So I think he's got a lot to do to earn a lot of that trust back. But I'm just gonna go on and on here at this point. So that's my final thoughts for today. Kenny, what do you have for us in your end?

Kenny Cody  38:23  
I think your criticism is brown or give me something that's going to sharpen, sharpen Trump's iron when it comes 2024 And actually, man, I think it's I think it's a great approach. I mean, truly, I think that when it comes with the 2024 He has to answer a lot of questions. And I think it's I mean, people hate to DeSantis interbreed with each other, you know, it divides the party, it's gonna, it's gonna destroy our chances for 2024 I think it's great, because it ensures that Trump has to answer for his mistakes. And I think that's a great thing because every president, if you're just don't worship at the altar of government or worship at the altar of a politician, every governor makes mistakes. Every politician makes mistakes. Every congressman, Senator, whatever state legislature they all make mistakes, including the president. So Trump is not the perfect candidate. He made mistakes 2021 It came to COVID Without a doubt in my mind, and he knows that as well Brian and that's kind of why I think his insults have been all over the place to for the scientists. So in the twitches. You read earlier, you said DeSantis allow this meat deaths and that kind of alludes to he didn't do enough on COVID, right, like didn't lock down. MASSIMO like my man what exactly but then last week, or a few weeks ago, he said also DeSantis closed down beaches. So it's kind of he is attacking him for whatever. And that's kind of to be caught between me and you. It's kind of what I view it as is I don't really take that much seriously, which were those those criticisms? Because he's just looking at the wall of what sticks what has been what was said in the media in 2020. What was said in the media now, all of a sudden, 2018 that's not team whatever. And this throwing attack because he is like that, right? He called Rampaul ugly on the debate stage 16 My first curly hair, right? It's just the dude is right. I mean, I hate to say I know that, that people hate that excuse. This is just who Trump is. But I don't take it that much seriously as he would if it happens again, he would walk down or anything like that, because he literally has criticized him, not only for not walking down done enough, but also for locking down beaches. So it's sort of hard for me to really take it serious and and it's just a primary battle man, like probably I mean, these, these sort of attacks happen always. I mean, you've seen total Seago. After Kamala Harris, you've seen Kamala Harris called Joe Biden racist, and then v is Vice President on the debate stage. This is just what a primary is. And that's kind of what I'm kind of struggling to kind of hold Trump to too much kale and kind of you're criticizing for the for the for way, saying right now, because this is just a primary battle. And I enjoy it. I think honestly, when DeSantis and Haley pants or whatever asked Trump these questions on COVID, he needs to be able to answer them. And he needs to be able to explain the American people why he made the decisions that he did, why he said the things he said, and I hope he holds it holds himself to account. I mean, that's it, I hope he helps families keep the power Burke's, whoever else and tries to at least answer to a lot what people like yourselves, independents like, and libertarians like yourself, have of him right now. And I completely understand where you're coming from when it comes to COVID Absolutely. went through a lot of the same things as a school employee here, especially I as I told you earlier, I was vaccinated, and I wish I wouldn't have been I got up far too early before I really know the, at the potential adverse effects of the vaccine. And you know, my, my brother never got the vaccine, and he was perfectly healthy and was and was, you know, never got COVID never got sick. And I it's affected people around me. And I don't mean people that have had as herself fixed for me, I'm very thankful to God that nothing has happened to me over it. But I think we all made mistakes in 2020, we all made decisions and said things that we probably didn't mean at that point. And I think that's kind of just what, what humans are. And I think right now that he's just attacking the Santas for needless things. I think it's just a silly primary battle. And ultimately, we get more serious as the debates Come on. Nowadays, Trump is still the dominant force, I thought we understood the voice of the GOP, I still think a lot of the positions that I hold, I know for a fact that I would not be an anti mob. And I've said this on your show before. I will not be an anti interventionist, I will not be as anti surveillance state. And I would not be as anti ATF, CIA and FBI as I am right now. If it were not for Donald Trump. I know that in my heart of hearts, and I think that he is the reason that I am the modern Republican that I am. I want to change this party. I want to make it more anti government corruption and anti surveillance state anti war as it can be. And I think he's the guy to do it. And that's nothing against Ron DeSantis. I've actually met Governor DeSantis at a fundraiser in Knoxville and really enjoy His company I have, you will not regardless of what you see on Twitter, besides on some policy stuff, you're not meant to be see me attacking the person. And you don't want to see me attacking the governor that Ron DeSantis is, is because I think he's a great governor. And I think he's a great dude. But when it comes to my preference, and my suggestion for 2024 I want the man who the establishment corrupt government and the large government hates, and that's Donald Trump. They hate him to every extent every extent imaginable. The judicial system, the CIA, the FBI, the ATF, the NSA, people overseas those who have the military industrial complex, the all the things that I hate in the world, they hate this man, and and whoever they hate the most is who I'm for. And right now, I believe that Donald Trump is hated by those organizations and hated by the things that I hate more than Ron DeSantis is and that's kind of what why I think he is the voice that Trump is still the voice the GOP and he should remain the voice of the GOP.

Brian Nichols  43:54  
Kenny Cody, it's been a pleasure, my friend. Thank you for joining us again. And I'm really looking forward to having these conversations once a week as we go through the news of the week give our perspectives and some context here to the news and definitely have these fun debates slash engaging conversations. So folks if you got some value from today's episode, well here's some housekeeping number one please go ahead. Give the episode a share. When you do please tag yours truly at B nickels Liberty Kenny where can folks go ahead and follow you

Kenny Cody  44:24  
you can follow me at Katie Cody tn it's rots here on the screen you can always find my muck rack online Kenny Cody muck rack you look at all the archives of the articles that I've written over the last three years Kimberly's gonna go on through years now we're having a nationally publicized calmness but thankful for I am finally on Facebook Kenny Cody found on Instagram is key Cody and be looking out for my new stuff mostly posted on Twitter. Now that I'm not that much of a following on true social but I do have a true social if you wanna follow me there is the same tag as well. Look forward to engaging with everybody read my stuff, promote my stuff. Have you have a question? My DMS are always open. And I'm always open to a conversation.

Brian Nichols  45:03  
And some housekeeping by the way, folks, you heard us today on the episode talking about some very controversial and potentially harmful subjects once according to the the overlords over at YouTube, and I got my demonetized D monetization strikes. So with that being said, yes, if you are ever feeling like you maybe won't find us somewhere because we're having these important conversations. Well, please go support independent media like sovereign like rumble, we are over there as well. And sovereign is a great organization. It's promoted and actually led by Ben Swan from Riyadh formerly of reality check. We had him on the show here back a few months ago or so and just really, really strongly support what they're doing over on sovereign. But yes, for the meantime, we are still of course over on YouTube, while the overlords allow us to. So while you're here, please do us a favor, hit that subscribe button, little notification bell. And yes, make sure you hit that like button. And by the way, if you want to make sure you don't miss a single episode of the show, you go to like the YouTubes and we're gone. All the sudden one day, we'll make sure you head over to the Brian Nichols show.com all of our episodes are there all 725 other episodes. That's right. Plus, we have a lot of behind the scenes exclusives and some other available content for you guys as well. So please head over there. And if you want go ahead and support the show, you can go ahead and do so by becoming a supporting listener at Brian Nichols show.com forward slash support. Either do a one time donation or you can become a recurring supporter. Or if you want go ahead and get some awesome swag. While you're along the way head over to our shop at the Brian Nichols show.com forward slash shop. I'm racking our magic money tree shirt here today. You can get that and more. Just make sure you use code TBNS at checkout give you 10% off with that being said that's all we have for you, Brian and CO signing off. You're on The Brian Nichols Show for the one and only Kenny Cody. We'll see you later.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai