The King Of England Is In The US (04/28)

This is an I heart podcast guaranteed human.

Can't find am 640 you're listening to the John Cobalt podcast on the I heart radio.

Mark Thompson here for John Cobalt.

Lupin rose today at five and Conway slides in here for the evening.

A lot going on tonight.

Speaking of the evening, we've got a major debate.

And this is a gubernatorial race.

It's wide open in California.

I mean, it's kind of a scary spot for Democrats.

If there's not a breakout candidate tonight, it could be slip spill for the Democrats.

And you'll be dealing with a state that has Republican governor and a democratic

legislature.

And you may say to yourself, well, then you know, you can't get anything done

because the legislatures can control by a super majority.

You'd be mistaken because in California, as governor, you can red line a bunch of

stuff on budgets.

There's a lot of power that is conferred to the governor.

And so we watched this race with great interest.

And we'll talk more about it and get a breakdown and analysis of it in just a few minutes.

Also the ballroom, everybody's about the ballroom, the White House ballroom.

We'll get a legal analysis because there was a and is a lawsuit involving the ballroom,

as you know, and it was to block the ballroom construction.

And now the Department of Justice has sent, in fact, it was sent, I believe within 24 hours

of the incident on Saturday night, not even.

And the acting attorney general Todd Blanch sent a pretty strong word of memo saying,

give this case up.

This is a situation in which we are compelled to build some kind of protective structure

for events that we want to have with the president and his cabinet.

So I mean, the reality on this, of course, is that the White House correspondents

then had 2,500 people there.

And this structure, even with it's $400 million price tag, wouldn't have been big enough.

It only houses a little under 1,000 people as planned.

So you would have had an offsite anyway.

So it's a weird thing that it's being argued as sort of the thing that's needed.

This proves the case, if you will.

But I get it.

And they're saying, hey, look, there's a vulnerability to the chief executive and as a result

and he wants this.

And obviously Donald Trump is leaning on this pretty hard.

And so we'll have the royal oaks break down legally on things.

The poll on California voters, by the way, is that people are not happy,

but they're not happy kind of along party lines.

The condition of the California economy.

I mean, this is a place where we can all agree it's expensive.

Look at the gas, you know, most expensive gas in the country.

Look at living here, most expensive place to live.

I mean, maybe not literally the most I get probably downtown Manhattan is more expensive.

Maybe they're a couple of other little suburbs and spots around Northern California.

I want to think, you know, well, any case without getting into the minutiae.

But the point is California is very expensive.

We can all agree on it.

I think that's one of the things that drives people from the state and the taxes here are high.

The condition of the California economy, Democrats and the latest poll say by 56%.

It's good.

Only 39% say it's bad independence.

On the other hand, say by 39% it's good and by 55% it's bad.

And then you get to Republicans who say only by 22% that it's good and 76% of Republicans

pulled these are registered voters, 76% saying the economy in California is bad.

Fills as though you can make an argument as I say for there are a lot of aspects of the

California economy that are really not great.

And when you've got a state that's underwater financially, they're talking about the

billionaire tax we spoke of it yesterday.

By the way, we're talking about yesterday, the fact that the billionaire tax is going to be

a tax on assets.

If it actually passes, it's going to be something we vote on in November.

But I just literally, sorry, I was giving you that example of how billionaires don't ever

get a salary.

So when you tax the wages of people who make more money, billionaires really aren't touched

by that.

They don't get a salary, typically get some low salary.

I was talking about the fact that you will see billionaires borrow against their assets.

So the fact that they're taxing their assets is a very big deal and it could drive billionaires

out of the state.

I'm sure it will come up tonight and it will be a prominent feature of the debate.

But I more to the point was talking about the fact that they borrow against their assets.

It's usually an appreciating asset.

Think of like a Tesla, for example, and a billionaire like Elon Musk.

And so he will get that money and it's not taxable.

It's alone.

So he's operating on that money while he is asset that is collateralized.

That loan continues to improve.

So Tesla continues to be more valuable.

Well, I was just seeing that Musk went after a big loan against SpaceX.

And this is just in the last couple of days and did exactly what we talked about yesterday.

Took this huge loan and got an amazing rate.

I mean, much lower than you and I would pay.

And you wouldn't say, well, of course, because he's got a lot of money.

Yeah, but it's much lower than even the much lower.

And that is the billionaire dance.

And so it can be done.

Now, I don't know if this billionaire tax on assets is a good idea of bad idea.

You've got new soon coming out against the year.

We're going to go and come out again.

But I'm just saying it's so relevant in a state that needs to find money somewhere.

I wonder how many of you are actually watching the debate or listening to the debate tonight, you know?

It's I feel at these debate situations are all viral moments waiting to happen.

So there has to be a viral moment.

Everybody needs a viral moment to break out of the pack.

I mean, look at this pack.

It's just nobody's standing apart.

So everybody needs something.

But then I wonder how many people are watching.

And this is why you need a viral moment because probably not a lot is the answer.

And if you don't get a viral moment, then nobody knows it even happened.

So there's all of this split in the vote.

And I don't know how to handicap it.

And so that's why we'll get an expert on in just a moment who really is good with the hip

deeper the analysis.

And at least can break it down from the standpoint of what to expect, what to watch for,

and what we might learn, you know, these debate formats, especially with as many people

on stage, how do people are on stage?

It never is an eight.

I think it's six.

Oh, six.

I could be wrong.

Anyway, there are a lot of people on stage.

Oh, it is eight.

Sorry.

It is eight.

So so they're eight people on stage.

And it's kind of like a game show.

I mean, they give you a minute to answer.

Then there's a bell, you know, and the moderator goes, I'm sorry, you're out of time.

You know, and there's this all this pressure to make points that are super significant

and relevant to life in California in 60 seconds.

Then you get a 50 second of follow up, there's a, you know, 15 and 30.

The rules are very game showy, but to be fair, well, how do you get everybody some time

unless you limit their time to start?

So they're all of these things working and it will be significant and it will be

particularly significant if there's a viral moment.

We'll talk to John Rothman more about what to watch for and the state of the race

and the state of life in California and how the governor and who becomes governor

might determine our life in California moving forward.

All of that next John Cobalt show Mark Thompson sitting in a KFI AM640 live everywhere

on the I hard radio app.

You're listening to John Cobalt on demand from KFI AM640.

Huge debate tonight.

There are a lot of situations where debates are important.

And this is I think in a class by itself in California.

And I wanted to talk to somebody who is truly a political ninja lecturer author.

He is John Rothman.

Welcome, sir.

John, you, I know you watch these things with the, you know, granular knowledge of their

history and also with a sense of what may happen.

So how do you assess this one?

It does feel as though we're in a different position now with this debate than we've been

in the past.

Well, well, dropping out of the race makes a huge difference.

And now we face a real challenge.

Remember, this is a runoff between the top two.

There is not a democratic or Republican primary.

There is a race between the top two.

And the question is, will Steve Hilton, who is endorsed by Donald Trump,

emerged as the stronger candidate over Chad Bianco, two Republicans.

Yes, strangers that they seem we could have a race between two Republicans.

And I'll make a prediction to you right now.

And that is, if that happens, there will be an immediate recall in January to try

to get a Democrat in the governor's office.

The polls today are clear.

Steve Hilton and Tom Steyer are virtually in a deadlock.

15.16 points.

It's so small, it doesn't matter.

But it means that Xavier Basera, who is the favorite of many Democrats now,

is still behind, but not by much, just by a point.

And so anything is possible.

So I was saying before that these are candidates are playing, I guess, for a viral moment.

I don't know how many of these debates are seen live or how many, and maybe you know,

I mean, to what degree does the electorate actually watch the debates?

Very few.

And in fact, I understand from my sources that there are more people watching online after the debate,

but the real thing is sound bites.

Will there be a run, a hit, an error in these debates, because that may make all the difference

in the world.

And let me point something else out to you.

Steyer has spent so much money that the advertisement time is locked up,

meaning the mayor of San Jose, who is also a viable candidate, can't really break

in because there's no way to buy the time.

So it's very, these debates are critical, and it will really be, and you'll be talking about it.

I'm sure who makes the first mistake.

So you're saying sort of that the exposure that like the mayor of San Jose might get,

this is it because there's no way to wedge your foot in the door when it comes to a media inventory.

Bingo.

100%.

Yeah.

So tell me something else.

And I was mentioning this before in Sacramento, if you have a democratic legislature,

and you have a Republican governor, again, a scenario that you just drew out as a possible.

I mean, notwithstanding the fact that there might be a recall and all that.

But the truth is the governor still has a lot of power.

It's not as though the, he has a redlining power, doesn't he, John?

Who is governor of California matters?

Of course he has a red line, but more than that, the governor places people in a point of

positions and also nominates people for jobs.

You know, the governor of California is an incredibly powerful spot.

And if you stop and think about it, virtually every person who has been governor of California since

Earl Warren has been a considered candidate for president or vice president of the United States.

So who is president matters tremendously for Donald Trump.

The endorsement that he has made of Steve Hilton is critical.

If Hilton emerges as one of the top two, the Republicans are going to do everything they can to stop Tom

Steyer. And if Tom Steyer is the top Democrat in the race, if he's one of the top two, it will make a

fast and any race because a lot of people don't like Steyer.

Look at all the money that is being raised by people who oppose Steyer, including PG&E.

I want to mention the money also and get your thought.

We're talking to John Rothman, the political analyst and Eric Swolwell had a lot of donations.

And I'm told that the Eric Swolwell people and more I read, I was reading something in the chronicle and the times.

And I think one other California publication today, suggesting that people are trying to claw their money back.

They sure are you invest in something you want to return that candidacy fails.

You want your money back, but and it's a big, but is the money there?

And is there a requirement to the money be returned?

And the answer to both of those questions is we're going to find out very soon.

Swolwell is done, right John?

Yes, absolutely because for all intents and purposes, although he denies any guilt, his withdrawal from the race and his resignation from Congress,

sort of seals the deal.

I guess he did what he did.

And for some people, it's not a surprise.

They kept thinking this is going to leak out, but sometimes it hurts and sometimes it doesn't.

Remember Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton and the old business when he was running for president about his scandals, it didn't hurt.

So it just depends.

But Swolwell was so abusive, according to the accusations, and I want to underline that because Swolwell denies it.

The accusations are so horrific and keep coming in that it seems unavoidable that he's through.

You know, the billionaire tax proposal is going to the November ballot.

They apparently have the signatures necessary.

Give me a beat about that.

They'll come up in the debate tonight, won't it John?

I expected it will, but remember it's up to the people asking the questions.

So questions that you and I as radio talk show hosts might ask might not be asked on a night like tonight, but it should be asked.

Not only that, the question now will be on the ballot in November about voter registration.

Do you have to have proof of Social Security card, a birth certificate?

That's going to be on the ballot.

So for Donald Trump, this is a critical moment.

If Steve Hilton is one of the top two, and if these measures are on the ballot,

what the Republicans are counting on is that they would have a shot, a shot at getting the California governor's race in their hands.

And Katie Porter has she faded completely.

Give me a second on her.

Yeah, I think she has.

And I think part of it is her own self destructive nature, sort of like Swolwell, except what Swolwell did is so offensive, if true, that it forces withdrawal.

She, on the other hand, is sort of surviving, but with no real traction.

When Swolwell withdrew, she was the one everyone looked to, but now look at Presero, because he's coming up fast.

The Democratic establishment wants to make sure he is in the race and not stire.

And that also is going to be very interesting.

One last point, because I know you're pressed for time.

Remember that Swolwell had a whole series of anti-stire ads.

Let me ask the question.

Will those ads now be put on the air by Presero?

Yes.

I'm going to be purchased.

I mean, you know, there's so many.

I tell you, I love politics, as you may have noticed, if my friends is compelling, and remember, whoever is governor of California may one day be president of the United States.

Indeed.

Thank you, John Rothman.

Good stuff around the political world of John Rothman is John's podcast.

And I appreciate so much talking to you.

Thank you, John Rothman.

That's a little of what to look for tonight and beyond tonight in the state of California.

Wow, there's a lot there, a lot going on, and everybody looking for a viral moment, for sure.

Mark Thompson here for John Cobalt.

We are KFI AM640 live everywhere on the I high radio app.

You're listening to John Cobalt on demand from KFI AM640.

John Cobalt show Mark Thompson sitting in.

Deborah, you've been watching the, uh, the king, the king of England and, uh, yeah, he spoke to Congress.

You sure did.

He likes, uh, he likes the Americans.

I know.

It's good to find a foreigner now who likes, uh, who's, you know, he's up to, uh, to hang with the Americans.

He was cracking a joke, you know, about, you know, the, the language.

I, he was, he was, had some humor in him.

No, um, it's weird to, I'm used to seeing him with all that costuming that they do over there.

I know he looked, uh, he looked different.

You're just wearing a coat and tie, although how downscale, you know, now does he have some guy who dresses him just like, uh,

Oh, I like, uh, down Abby.

Yeah.

I'm sure, of course, oh my god, can you imagine every day and every night,

somebody helping you take off your clothes and putting your PJs on and all that stuff?

Well, I, it's something that will all probably have eventually, they'll be called a nurse and they'll be with us as we, uh,

as our physical condition is degraded through the years, but you're right.

You know, imagine that all your life having someone assigned to you to help you put on your socks.

And I mean, I think brushing your hair, 100 strokes, you know, with long hair.

Man, I mean, it just, it, it, it's, it's otherworldly.

The Charles, uh, who is the king did not make direct reference.

I'm seeing here to the tensions between President Trump and British prime ministers,

a British prime minister, a Kier Starmer, but the king appeared to gently push back against

criticisms of NATO and his skepticism regarding climate change from Donald Trump.

There's both, you know, the criticism of NATO and also he doesn't buy climate change and

has no real appetite for alternative energy.

Uh, and the, you know, it's interesting.

The king is big on that.

Actually, he's quite an environmentalist, you'd almost call him.

But uh, he also called for unyielding resolve in the defense of Ukraine.

And then he met privately, I guess, prior to addressing Congress.

And there is, uh, there was a trading of gifts.

I don't know what the gifts were.

Oh, let's see.

Do they unwrap them publicly?

Or is that done in, you know, in private?

Um, look, it's an indictment for James Comey right here in the, uh, in my box.

Yeah.

Uh, that was the other thing that happened.

Tell me if you, I don't think I'm looking.

I'm looking.

Let's see what gift, uh, yeah.

They exchange gifts.

I don't, you know, what do you, that's the exchange gift?

What do you get the king who has everything?

And what do you give Trump?

Yeah.

Well, Trump, you give him some, you know,

he an award or some kind?

Get him a golf ball.

Oh, yeah, get him a gold golf ball.

I think that's a great, you know, Eric, you really would be.

You do so well in Washington.

Oh, what I, yeah, I think you would.

His story here, you guys, historical replicas in jewelry.

Uh, I know what that means, but I mean, I guess, I kind of know what it means.

Trying to go deeper here.

Yeah.

Um, um, well, they exchange, oh, here we go.

Okay.

King Charles gifted president, Trump,

a framed replica of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk,

according to a press release.

That's very cool.

And palace, the original copies under the possession of the National Maritime

Museum in London.

The drawings contain the design plan show the front elevation top

and projection of the president's desk in the Oval Office.

Um, so let's see, what else?

So that's what Charles gave.

Oh, yes, Queen Camilla gave Melania Trump a brooch by a British jewelry designer,

according to Buckingham Palace.

Yeah, how nice.

The jeweler's work is described as a fusion of traditional craft skills alongside

the latest developments in technology and computer aided design.

Well, how, how both current and yet, uh, uh, a tip of the hat to the top.

President Trump gave King Charles a custom copy of a 1785 letter written by President

John Adams to diplomat John Jay.

Wow.

Yes.

That is very well done.

First of all, Deborah, for getting that information.

And secondly, what great gift giving?

Oh, and Melania Trump gave Queen Camilla six Tiffany English King Sterling Silver T

spoons and a jar of White House honey.

I didn't even know I didn't even know there was White House honey.

I didn't either.

Yes, you can pick it right up in the gift shop.

Yes.

Well, I'm sure the M&Ms, yeah, right.

The White House honey jar serves as a nod to Queen Camilla's interest in beekeeping.

Oh, yes.

And also reflects the women's shared appreciation for sustainability, craftsmanship,

and the natural world.

Well, that was so well reported and, uh, and just lovely.

It's, it's, it's nice that they're all getting along so well.

Yes.

When we come back, it was a big day for the comies.

Part of the family was excited about the day and part of the family.

Not excited about the day.

That story.

Next.

Mark Thompson here for John Cobalt on KFI AM640.

We're live everywhere on the I hard radio app.

You're listening to John Cobalt on demand from KFI AM640.

At four, just after four Royal Oaks will join.

We'll talk about the White House ballroom lawsuit.

Yeah.

This thing has become, you know, the cause in Washington.

And $400 million, apparently, what was talked about as a completely privately funded

effort, which has its own issues.

But in any case, that's the way it was being talked about for a long time.

And apparently we've seen, you know,

Palantir and Apple and Amazon and a bunch of others contribute as well as a lot of private donors.

Now there's increasing talk of it being taxpayer money.

So we'll touch on that as well with Royal Oaks in four o'clock.

Good news and bad news in the Comey House.

Maureen Comey.

If the name means something to you, it's the daughter of James Comey, the former FBI director.

Maureen Comey, she was a former federal prosecutor, right?

But she was a former, she was a, she was a federal prosecutor.

That makes her a former federal prosecutor.

She was the one who was working on the case against Jeffrey Epstein.

And also the case against P Diddy or Puff Daddy or Diddy or D-Man or whatever he calls himself.

Maureen Comey, again, the former federal prosecutor who worked on all of these critical cases

was dismissed by the Trump administration.

And she says in her lawsuit against the government that there's no plausible explanation for her

abrupt dismissal other than Donald Trump not liking her and enmity toward her father

that was then passed on to her.

Perceived political affiliation and beliefs or both is the quote.

So the Trump administration had asked the judge to dismiss her suit against the government,

saying it had pursued.

And well, essentially the government saying through Donald Trump's government through his DOJ,

they're saying there are other ways to handle this besides going to the courts and suing us.

There is a merit systems protection board.

It's called this is an independent agency that hears complaints from federal workers about,

you know, being dismissed like this or employment actions of any kind.

But the judge said no.

That's outside of the universe of cases that Congress intended for that board to resolve.

And therefore the court has jurisdiction to consider this suit.

And the judge didn't rule on the marriage, but said her claim can go forward.

And she had no comments beyond this.

But this is a victory for her effort to, I guess,

reclaim what will likely be money.

I mean, I don't think she wants her job anymore.

But again, the daughter of James Comey.

Meantime for James Comey, not as good a situation developing today.

Because for James Comey, and he's been the subject of a lot of Donald Trump's retribution,

there is a new indictment against him.

This stems from that social media post.

Remember he put those seashells on a beach when he was on vacation in North Carolina.

So he put these seashells in a configuration that says 8647.

And so again, he posted this on social media.

And because it said 86, which usually means dismiss, remove, or nicks,

the Trump administration is arguing that that was creating around the former president at the

at the time a kind of a call of violence to get rid of him that way.

So they saw 86 as a claim to a message involving killing the former president.

So the case is on.

And now you have, once again, James Comey, the former FBI director in the middle of all of this.

And once again, you may or may not see this actually move toward conclusion.

His various legal representatives say that this is ridiculous.

You know, you have to prove intent with witnesses, with documents, with the defendant himself.

You're going to have to do a lot.

In the words, the legal lift that isn't reflected in this indictment.

But they indicate court records doing a rest warrant was issued.

Not immediately clear if they're going to allow him to self surrender.

It's crazy.

I mean, I say it's crazy in that this thing just continues.

And that secret service interviewed him by phone that evening after he made the social media post.

He said he had no intent to try to gin up any kind of violence against the president.

And, you know, the one thing the government can do and you're probably well aware of this.

But I think we can lose track of it because it becomes headlines.

They can make your life pretty difficult before you even go to trial.

Just an indictment can be a real problem for you.

So, you know, when they, it's a little like a search warrant.

And when they come in and you go, that's ridiculous.

I don't have anything the government would be interested in.

But they go through your house.

They turn everything upside down.

And it's not a, it's not a pleasant experience.

And similarly, if they indict, they can do a lot of things in the process of indictment

that force you to lawyer up.

It can be expensive.

It creates a situation in your life that is full of anxiety.

And as I say, dollars and cents.

So, in the case of Comey, I mean, I think he's got money.

But it's still a pain.

He's also a lawyer with a legal background.

But man, it never stops.

And he is going to be back in the griddle.

This as his daughter gets good news that her case can continue against the government

because of her dismissal.

Pretty crazy.

They charge that guy in the attempt at assassination at the press dinner.

And I guess the press dinner is going to happen in 30 days, right?

They're going to dust it off and profit back up.

I mean, look, when you've written a speech and you're ready to go,

I know what that's like.

Then they KO your, your big night.

So Donald Trump is among those parties insistent on this thing going forward.

And then finally, the transition from what happened that night to the demand for the ballroom.

When we come back, we'll talk to Royal Oaks.

There was an immediate demand to get cracking with the building of the ballroom.

But more to the point legally, and that's why Royal Oaks is here,

to forget about the lawsuit that was blocking the building of the ballroom.

And the law, as represented by Todd Blanche, is now coming down in favor of President Trump

so needing the ballroom because of the threats to his person

that it should blunt whatever legal remedies are being sought on the other side.

So it's a court case.

The case is to stop the construction.

And the government is saying, no, the construction has to proceed and you should give up that

court case. Royal Oaks on that as we continue. John Cobalt,

show Mark Thompson sitting in, KFI AM640, we're live everywhere on the I Heart Radio M.

You've been listening to the John Cobalt Show podcast.

You can always hear the show live on KFI AM640 from 3 to 6 pm every Monday through Friday.

And of course, anytime on demand on the I Heart Radio M.

KFI AM640.