January 5th, 2023

On Thursday’s Mark Levin Show, of the 20 Republican holdouts in the House there are those who want to cut a deal, those so far in the weeds it’s not clear, and then those who have personal animosity for Kevin McCarthy and will take no deal. Meanwhile President Biden is about to give out massive amnesty, and we don’t have a Republican house of representatives to fight it. Whatever deal may come from this holdout in the House doesn’t matter now, because the damage has already been done. We believe in representative government, not majority or minority control, but when you start to cannibalize your own, nothing good can come from it. Many of the Republican holdouts are enjoying their publicity stunt and getting as much time on TV as possible, while many conservatives get no face time whatsoever. This isn’t how a republic, or a democracy is supposed to work; everything going on right now in the House isn’t in the Constitution. Also, Biden announced a new program to take in 30,000 migrants per month in an effort to crack down on illegal immigration. We have existing federal immigration laws, so why not enforce them? Instead, Biden is promoting an app for migrants to apply for asylum in advance. Biden has never visited the southern border as president, or even in the 50 years he’s been in Washington, because he wants this crisis to happen. Later, if the media is going to keep beating the drums every year about January 6th, we should do the same about the Marxist ideology that has brainwashed our kids and our society. The coup the democrats have launched against America is far worse than anything that happened on January 6th.

American Greatness
The Coup We Never Knew

Not The Bee
“Joe Biden has spent 282 days – 40% of his presidency – on vacation.”

Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP

The podcast for this show can be streamed or downloaded from the Audio Rewind page.

Rough transcript of Hour 1

Hour 1 Segment 1

All right. Let me tell you what I know both from public reports and also from my own sources. There are three types of people among these 22. There are those who want to cut a deal. There are those who are so far into the weeds, it’s not clear if they want to cut a deal. And then there are those who have personal animosity towards McCarthy who are not going to cut any deal. So the 20 are united right now in their opposition to McCarthy. They are not united in their reasons to be opposing McCarthy. One of the people told me that there are some dead enders who are prepared to jump off the edge of the roof if that’s what it takes to stop McCarthy. So you have that dynamic going on. So there are those who say this is how Republic works. It’s very interesting because many of those who say that don’t take the time to find out actually what’s going on. These things are messy, but I wouldn’t call this exactly working. Now. It looks like a deal is in the works. And it looks like the deal is being put to writing. With certain of the taking a look at it to see if they. They can agree to it. If there’s an agreement on the deal, I am told. It’s still not enough. They still don’t have enough of the 20. To get the 218. So the goal is to get a deal. Get as many of the 20 as possible. Likely Perry and Chip Roy. And Donald’s. And a handful of others. Ken Buck, who was voting for McCarthy, had to leave for a long scheduled medical appointment back to Colorado. So he’s left. So obviously that won’t help McCarthy. So that’s the situation. As has been conveyed to me based on my own inquiry. Now, as for what happens now. It’s not clear how much more time will be needed, but more time will be needed. Just based on what I said. And if you’re going to adjourn over the weekend, you need the support of a number of members. So that’s not certain. That’s not certain. But the core of this is that there is some kind of deal in writing being reviewed. And that. You’ve got divisions among the tow and this is what happens. This is Royal Russian Republic work. Now, this is how certain members of a republic do not want the Republic to work. Not all the time, mind you again. So when you have the chest beaters and the head tappers on TV and radio going on about let’s back these guys, it’s back on back, they don’t even know what they’re backing. Which guys are you backing and for what? Which ones? I told you I had one guy in there negotiating for himself to get committee assignments, so we should all drop dead and back that guy. Who hasn’t spent one minute. Hasn’t been sworn in. He should get in front of the other conservatives. No, I don’t think so. Now, I’m going to tell you something. In it. Tell you something. Hold on. I have some information coming in. Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of anyway, so. Hold on. I got to read it. Hold on, hold on. I’m reading it. This is real radio. Okay. You see, folks, they can’t afford to lose five. They can’t afford to lose five. And the thing is, they’ve given them 98% of what they want. 90% of what I agree with, but 98% of what they want. Even McCarthy is saying, okay, it’ll take simply one member to challenge the speakership to demand a vote. Now, having gone through this, you having seen this and watched this, that’s a pretty drastic thing to do. And that’s something that I think that Mark Meadows and Jim DeMint have been pushing. And that’s okay. But he just gave it to them. I’m looking at Breitbart now, as we all know, a very RINO publication. I’m saying that tongue in cheek. McCarthy gave the holdouts for more concessions. One member motion threshold needed to force a vote, ousting a speaker instead of five more House Freedom Caucus members on the House Rules Committee. Two seats. Pledges to hold votes on lawmaker term limit and border security bills. And I’m going to get to that term limit issue in a second. Major changes to the appropriations process to prevent another omnibus bill by allowing floor amendments to be offered by any lawmaker. Okay, Couple of things here. You cannot change the Constitution by statute. The Supreme Court has said so, and we constitutionalists agree with that. Can you imagine? And there’s a bunch of schmucks who go on Twitter and other social media platforms when you tell them that. They don’t want to believe you, Right? Mr.. Have you seen that, Mr. Producer? It’s very weird. It’s very stupid. Now, all that said. Some of these guys want to propose that anyway. Now, not only would it be killed in the Senate and killed by Biden, but they’re all going to tell you what I’m telling you, which is you cannot change the Constitution by a statute. That’s why, as part of the Liberty Amendment, I have term limits and the Liberty Amendment. That’s why I want I support convention of states. And you have a guy like Andy Biggs who opposes it and opposed it and blocked it in Arizona. They make they make term limits impossible. So here you have the leader who opposed convention of states making term limits impossible. And one of their demands is that they get to vote on term limits. They can vote till they’re blue in the face. I am not going to sit here and let them deceive you and lie to you and pretend that that’s going to be effective. It’s not. It’s not going to do anything. After Franklin Roosevelt died and he had been elected to four terms and he ran for that fourth term, even though he was deathly ill. And a few months after dying and winning that election, Congress decided they needed to limit how long a president could serve. Did they pass a statute? Now, believe it or not, the Democratic Congress and the Republican Congress stated the old fashioned way an amendment no one can serve in the presidency more than ten years under our Constitution. Now, no one who can serve two full terms. You can serve part of somebody’s term and two full terms, but it can never add to more than ten years. And so I’m listening to people who say I’m a conservative, I’m a constitutionalist. That’s what we’re standing up for, fighting the rhinos who are lying to you. It’s just not true. So there’s three. Elements within this group of 20. Again, let me repeat, most of them, but not all of them are principled or negotiating and they’re trying to get a deal. And I think they’re close to written deal and they’re looking at it. Some of them have no interest in a deal. It’s all personal animosity. And so they will look for an excuse to say, well, they didn’t do this, they didn’t do that, they didn’t do this. We’re talking about a handful of people now. And then there are others who are basically blackmailing the majority. They want certain committee assignments and other things. So I hope what they do is they get as many as they can in on their deal and then let us focus on the remaining whatever a number it is, because at this point, Joe Biden’s about to give out massive amnesty and we don’t have a Republican House of Representatives to fight him. We don’t even have a Republican House of Representatives to fight them or to fight McConnell in the Senate or to do anything. We don’t have anything. And to get the resources in place to get everything in place is going to take some time. Now there are people out there who have worked for nonprofits. There are people out there who have gone to dinners. There are people out there who talk to each other. People out there who will tell you that they represent you, the base. You don’t even know who they are. You’ve never spoken to them. You don’t know most of the groups. And they’re in and around Washington, D.C., acting like Marxists, like leftists, telling everybody that they represent tens of millions of people. I have 14 and a half million people on this radio show. I left Twitter. I came back to Twitter, what, six, seven, eight months ago. We went from nothing to we’re almost a 3.4 million. And half a year, give or take. What about a million on Truth social and I don’t even promote it. Yeah. Guys on TV and radio, they can’t mention their Twitter handles enough over and over and on. I don’t. The hell is my Twitter handle? Mark Levin Show Twitter. Right. At Mark Levin show Twitter. I don’t even know what the hell handle is. There it is. At Mark Levin Show, Twitter. So at this point. There is some deal. And a decent number of the 20 go for the deal. But then there’s still holdouts. Then you’ll know that for several of these individuals, no, they were not standing on principle. They were not standing for the country. They’re your typical Washington political hack blowhard. No. Single? No. Oh. When we come back, let’s talk a little bit about if the Republicans do. Yet a speaker, regardless Who? The speaker. Is an exercise the majority properly. What kind of power do they actually have? I’ll be right back.

Hour 1 Segment 2

You’re hearing. A lot of promises that are being made by everybody. On the Republican side that they’re not going to be able to keep. So they need to press an agenda. They need to block the Democrats where they can, if necessary, shut the government when they get their chance at dealing with a budget. McConnell took it away from them recently. Period of another year. But you have the Senate that is controlled by Schumer and McConnell. McConnell is an enemy. And of course, you have Biden with a veto pen, which means you need a supermajority. Should he veto something? It’s not true with investigations. That’s important to know. So when it comes to actual legislation, it’s not so simple. People want to tell you this is how our republic work. Well, I’ll tell you how the Republic works. This republic. There’s three branches and there’s a bicameral branches in Congress. Now, that doesn’t mean the Republicans can’t push an agenda. That doesn’t mean the Republicans can’t try to persuade the American people. That doesn’t mean the Republicans can’t do everything possible to slow down, stop, confront all those things. That’s very, very important. But the Republicans in the House alone, without help from the Republicans in the Senate, who do have the advantage of a of a filibuster if they need to use it. But McConnell won’t leverage to secure the border, leverage to do certain things. These Republicans in the House. Whomever the speaker is, I don’t care if they bring Barry Goldwater back. The fact of the matter is, are not going to be able to achieve affirmatively all these things that they’re saying they’re going to achieve one side or the other.

Hour 1 Segment 3

So what’s the big rule that’s left? The big change that’s left that hasn’t been achieved. Accomplished. What is it? What is it? There isn’t any, just a matter of, I guess, getting lawyers in the room to write something up. Fine. But has the damage already been done? You know, when I heard about these sort of three factions within the 20. Those who have these changing demands and they get smaller, smaller and more and more in the weeds. Those who have principled changes that they’ve wanted. And those who are exploiting this for personal power and animus. And you have to hear people tell you that this is how a democracy works. This is how a republic works. So you’re supposed to follow the reprobates among them because that’s how democracy works. No, it isn’t. First of all, we’re not a democracy. Secondly, those 20 and if it’s whittled down to ten or four or whatever it is. They don’t represent the vast majority of people in this listening audience. They represent their own districts. That’s representative government. That’s how the republic works. We don’t believe in minority control. We don’t believe in majority control. We believe in representative government. So it’s good that there’s a fight to a point. It’s what a primary is all about, what a general election is all about. But if you take it to the point where you cannibalize your own. And again, I have never reviewed this is conservative versus establishment because I always had the sense and I’ve talked this out with you for three days now, that a number of these people among the 20 or the 19 or whatever, the original number five, they were not principled. They were not earnest guys like Andy Biggs and others. Gates just went on the floor and he said he’s nominated Donald Trump, which is ridiculous. But he’s nominated Donald Trump, who he attacked yesterday. And he said, and one of the things that he really wants to get done, regardless who the speaker is, is more criminal justice reform. We did the first step. We need a second. We need a third. We need a fourth criminal justice reform. How about law and order? Mr. Gates. So Mr. Gates and I don’t see eye to eye on everything. I think we did criminal justice reform. I was never a big fan of letting criminals out of prison. And I’m not a big fan of going any further. It should be the opposite. Which is more criminals go to prison. I don’t know why we have to sound like liberals and act like liberals. So that’s one of the great conservatives who just said that on the floor of the House. Count me out. I don’t agree. It’s certainly not a priority of mine. It’s a priority of yours. Here’s David Axelrod on CNN today. And he’s very happy. He’s very excited. Why? Correct. Go. He’s surrendered. I mean, the truth of the matter is whether the 20 want to accept it or not, They’ve won. McCarthy. They’ve won either Dingle. Either McCarthy becomes a neutered, powerless speaker who has a sword of Damocles over his head that could fall at any time because anybody in that party could call to vacate the chair or someone else becomes speaker. But he they have won this. I mean, the only thing that’s left is for, you know, one of them to drive out with McCarthy’s car and another one to wear his coat. It’s not true. That’s true. There may be some truth to this. There may be some truth to that, which is what I said on day one, depending on how long this goes on and what they’re duking it out over and all the rest. They could actually be weakening a weakening a Republican speaker, whomever the speaker is. That rule change where one member can call to vacate the chair. That is to get rid of the speaker. Think that’s a good rule. I know it was used against Boehner, but Boehner was going to leave anyway, as it turns out. We later learned, but still. You look at Pelosi and many of you have called the show and have said to me, why don’t we have leaders like this? We have nothing but hate and contempt for that woman and what she’s done to this country and what she’s done to President Trump and on and on. But I’ll give her this. She knows how to lead. Well, she never had the sword of Damocles hanging over her head. Ever. She was incredibly powerful speaker. So to some extent you’ve got to be careful what you wish for. I hear some of these guys on the floor of the House have been watching all day, like some of you while trying to get other work done. This guy, Bob Good from Virginia. I have no idea what Bob Good has ever done. From Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Danville, Virginia. Fifth District. One by the skin of his teeth. Skin of his teeth. Okay, fine. Took enormous sums of money from Kevin McCarthy’s PAC. Why doesn’t he return that money? And if he took money from Kevin McCarthy’s PAC, you really want to be a purist? Why doesn’t he resign? Because he took money from Kevin McCarthy’s PAC. To persuade voters to vote for him and then he opposes Kevin McCarthy. I mean, then don’t take money from the guy’s PAC. You don’t take money from abortion groups and all the rest of it. If you know that you’re not going to support him, then why would you take money from his PAC? And you should see what some of the idiots commenting about that online should take more. Lauren Boebert. Was asked time and again, time and again by Sean HANNITY last night. Well, who’s your candidate? They have more candidates. I mean, I think we’re going to be here the rest of my life. There are 330 million Americans, Mr. Peterson. Any one of them can serve as a speaker. You’re aware of that, right? No, no, not me. But you get the point. You get the point. And you know what tomorrow is, ladies and gentlemen. I forgot all about it, but Chuck Todd reminds us it’s January 6th. Chuck Todd’s got the whole set up for this. That MAGA did all that damage on January six. Few years back. And now look, all the damage they’re doing today. What an idiot. What a complete buffoon and fool. No wonder he gets no ratings and he ought to be thrown off MSNBC or wherever the hell he is. Calls this a similar battle. Similar battle. So they have January six circled on their calendar, of course. And you’re going to hear this crap all day tomorrow. Trust me, that’s the way they work. One of the things that’s very cringeworthy is what are they on their 10th vote or something like that? All these standing ovations, people standing around. Hakeem Jeffries. And he sits there like an emperor. Smiling, shaking hands, the things they say about him. One of the earlier. People nominating him spoke about his family. Wonderful family, except they left out one of his family members, Mr. Producer. The former professor, remember? Professor Jeffries, the racist anti-Semite. Who is so bad he was even removed from an Ivy League school. Boy, the good old days today, they’d, you know, promote him to president of the university. But that said. They didn’t mention that, even though Hakim has said of his uncle and I’ve told you this many times, that he’s very close to his uncle, while he doesn’t always agree with his theories. You know, his theories of anti-Semitism are either an anti-Semite or you’re not. It’s not a theory. And they’re applauding him in a praising him. And I’m watching some of the secular Jews who are Democrats here. Quite frankly, for my tribe applauding him, standing, yelling. Hakeem Jeffries. Yeah, we went. I gave Jeffries. Amazing. Hakeem Jeffries. And what’s so great about Hakeem Jeffries? Nothing. He’s a radical. That’s Hakeem Jeffries. And by the way, you know what happened in the Ohio Assembly the other day? These are all of the common pattern. What happened in the Ohio Assembly the other day? Anybody know? You know, Mr. Producer? Well, as a liberal Republican and the Republicans control the Ohio Assembly. And there was a gentleman who was supposed to be speaker. But he wasn’t. Liked by everybody. He was quite conservative, actually. But he wasn’t liked by everybody. So what happened? Well, the liberals and the so-called moderate Republicans, the rhinos, joined with the Democrats and elected the liberal Republican to be the speaker out of the blue, out of left field. But that can’t happen. But it did happen. It did happen. In Ohio. With a conservative Republican legislature. You never know. And then finally, one of the other things I notice, finally for this segment anyway, as a number of these people of the tow, not all, but some really have enjoyed their face time on TV. Have you noticed that, Mr. Producers? They all huddle together. As they huddled together, 20 of them. 20. And Andy Biggs is walking around. He seems very down. Seems very Downey’s commiserating with Gates. Lauren Boebert listening in. The cameras are on them, Mr. Producer. The three wise men are the two wise men and the wise woman, I guess. And yet you have many, many conservatives on the floor of the House that get no face time. They get no support. Whatever. All right. We’ll be right back.

Hour 1 Segment 4

And I want to make another observation, to be perfectly honest with you folks. As I sit here and over the hours, like many of you during the course of the day or listen on the radio, I don’t see a lot of great leaders here, do you, Rich? I don’t see a lot of great leaders in the House of Representatives, maybe a couple. I don’t see a lot of great leaders in the U.S. Senate, maybe a couple on the Republican side. I really don’t. And this is why I think DeSantis is so powerful as a chief executive and governor. And of course, Trump, who never served in the House or the Senate either, and they’re all staring at their iPhones. They’re all trying to see who’s texting them. They’re all tweeting. And, you know, it’s just it’s just it’s Rome. So these 20 are not going to save us. None of them are going to save us. And at the save ourselves. So I talked to the grass roots. You too. I talk to my audience. You not groups and organizations. They pretend to represent you who send you envelope after envelope. No, I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about you. And I don’t think you see any great leaders here either. You see posers. You see people who are pretenders. But there aren’t any great leaders. Maybe a few, but that’s about it. That’s about it. And that’s frightening. Same with the Senate side. And that’s why I’ve decided we’re going to have to look at these governorships where people have real records and are real executives and or have to do real things. Or the former president. There’s nothing here. This is the great battle of the century. This one going on right now? No, I don’t think so. I really don’t think so. Not, in my view. The best thing about this Republican majority, if they get their act together, is that they’re not the Democrats. Don’t you think, Mr. Producer? They fight over whether they get two members or three members of the Rules Committee, whether they have to wear yellow ties on Tuesday or red ties on Wednesday. You got to wait 72 hours or 70 hours and I’m going to. Okay, you got it. That’s enough. All right. Now, now, you don’t understand, Marc. You don’t understand these groups out there and you don’t understand these geniuses on TV and radio saying, whats the problem? This is how our republic works. Republic is not working. Put this aside. It’s not working. We have a massive bureaucracy with a president who’s out of control. What a Republican leader in the Senate. Who’s colluding with the Democrat leader. We got this bull crap going on here now. They got 90%. Good. Take it. Run with it now. We’ve got the intelligence agencies, the law enforcement, federal agencies thwarting speech, thwarting communication with big tech. All this information coming out while this stuff’s going on in the house. We have 10,000 illegal aliens crossing the border every single day, and we now have a massive amnesty bill in front of us. It’s not a bill, in fact, an executive order that’s coming from Biden. He wants people to declare their amnesty before they even come to the United States. This is how Republicans supposed to work, don’t you know? No, it’s not. It’s not working. It’s dying. It’s dying. Well, Mark, you’re back, McCarthy. I want these Republicans to get their act together. I want us to get behind them to do something. And if they don’t do it, I want to throw their asses out of office and replace them with somebody who will. I am not playing games about this stuff. I don’t care what goes from wherever the hell he’s from. He means nothing to me. What committee he sits on.