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Transcript
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SPEAKER 4
Hello, everyone, and welcome to America Unhinged. I'm Wajahat Ali.
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SPEAKER 3
And I'm Francesca Fiorentini. And this is the show that tracks the first 100 days of Trump's second administration, arguably a worse administration. And today we are on day 58 of the ongoing constitutional crisis, which we will once again outline today as Donald Trump openly ignores federal judges and their rulings.

Why Chuck Schumer Caved to Trump and Musk

On ‘America Unhinged,’ Francesca and Wajahat discuss Chuck Schumer handing Republicans a win on their funding bill as Trump escalates his attacks on Social Security.

It’s day 58 of Trump 2.0, and Democratic leadership is failing to stand up to his authoritarian power grabs.

On the latest episode of ‘America Unhinged’ on YouTube, Francesca Fiorentini and Wajahat Ali react to Trump’s unabashed cruelty as his administration moves to cut Social Security’s phone service. Sam Seder, host of The Majority Report, also joins to discuss how Democrats are playing into it.

“This is the natural conclusion, in my opinion, of decades of undermining what is the most popular program in this country that keeps millions of seniors and others out of poverty,” Francesca says. “It's the kind of destitution that comes along with authoritarianism and ‘soft eugenics,’ as it's being called.”

But this is just the latest move in MAGA’s mission to gut Social Security. Republicans attacked the program in its latest funding bill as well, which passed with the help of Democratic Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer.

Sam slams the move, arguing, “The fact of the matter is, the vast majority of Americans, the vast majority of people getting Social Security, will just simply think Social Security is failing – period. They won't know that it's Elon Musk. They won't know that it's Donald Trump. There will be no one to blame.”

He continues, “And Chuck Schumer essentially allowed Trump and Musk to do this and the Republicans to do this with having absolutely zero accountability, completely obscuring for the American public what's going on.”

Watch the episode above or over on YouTube to hear the full discussion, including Trump’s legal fiasco over deportation flights.

Tune into ‘America Unhinged’ and join the live chat Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8pm ET over on Zeteo’s YouTube channel. Tell your friends, too!

And if you’re a paid subscriber, let us know in the comments what you’d like Francesca and Wajahat to cover next!

If you enjoy ‘America Unhinged’, support independent journalism and the work of Zeteo, please consider donating to support our mission of delivering unfiltered news, bold opinions, and diverse voices.

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Discussion about this video

I say he caved to big money and corporate interests ages ago. DNC needs to change leadership, public won't vote in the old guard who are too set in their redundant ways.

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Maybe, but critically Schumer on Chris Hayes misrepresented the FACTUAL TRUTH. It wasn’t an either/or with the CR.

The filibuster isn’t ‘emergency government’ … it is an extended debate, perhaps on TV, perhaps all night. Why not filibuster?

We need to get on air interviews of every single republican senator answering questions about exactly what they agree with as to what’s happening.

And Joe Rogan… ALL THOUGHT INFLUENCERS need to be interviewed on camera.

Jim Acosta, do you have sway?

Bloody Bill Maher, how about you… mister if you’re anti-civilian-slaughter that means you support Hamas. Reasoning I’m sure you didn’t learn in uni.(!!)

This holds, in your mind, especially if you’re on a university campus? Then you’re young and stupid, right?

Are you college educated Mr M?

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Exactly. Take the time to debate and state on the record what the CR does or permits. If there's a shutdown for 24 or 48 hours, so what? Schumer could also have gone on record as to what a shutdown would make irreversible and to be avoided. I hate the disrespect for our intelligence.

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Chuck Schumer is exactly part of the problem and not the solution. This country need people with backbone and integrity to stand up to the Corporations and Oligarchs not lifetime Congressmen who have got us to where we are.

Start by a general strike and stop paying taxes as we don't have any representation.

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Wait times in offices are already hours long. More staff is needed, not less.

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From the Seattle times about a man that Social Security declared dead

It was like a Depression-era scene, he said, with a queue 50-deep jockeying for the attentions of two tellers. The employees were kind but beleagued.

“They are so understaffed down there,” he said. “They think the office is about to be closed down, and they don’t know where they’re going to go. It feels like the agency’s being gutted.”

After waiting for four hours, Johnson admits he jumped the line: “I saw an opening and I kind of rushed up and told them I was listed as dead.

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The corrupt Schumer followed the orders of his benefactors! And in doing so, undermined the party and more seriously supported Trump! He needs to be forced to retire. He is beyond corrupt!!!

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The prison they were sent to is worse than what you described

https://youtu.be/4rrVznR2oV4?si=CCJy0s9WY5mazU_w

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Let that sink in, press secretary:"Hell is going to break loose."

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What we need is to have a pathway to the resistance instead of wearing out our energies and perspectives.

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Hey Fiorentini, You Gen X'er, you. So, Its just The Boomers that gotta go?

50% of Dems who voted for the CR were not Boomers.

The time is coming fast when you will hear the cry GET RID OF the X-ers!

Its all GEN X's fault.

And you will say, Wait a minute... not All of us...

Dick Durbin - Silent Gen

Angus King - Silent Gen

Catherine Cortez Masto - Boomer

Gary Peters - Boomer

Chuck Schumer - Boomer

Maggie Hassan - Boomer

Jeanne Shaheen - Boomer

John Fetterman - Gen X

Kirsten Gillibrand - Gen X

Brian Schatz - Gen X

🤦‍♂️Nick Sodano, Boomer

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Trump probably gave him an offer he couldn't refuse.

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This genocide would stop if the Muslim Rulers want it to. Forget about the West snd US, the Muslim States do not care. Verbal bullshit not withstanding.

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yes, they are as corrupt as we (governments) are but that doesn't mean they and we (people) shouldn't care! Was Trump projecting when he talks about WWIII?

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100% look at Schumer’s largest donors and that guides our answer to why he enabled authoritarianism. Securities & Investments (Blackstone, Nextera Energy, etc), Lawyers/Law Firms, Real Estate. All will benefit from privitizing everything, destroying unions, & increasing the prison industrial complex through disappearing dissidents.

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Stop criticizing Shumer for his age! I don't want Bernie or Liz Warren forced out when they are still doing great stuff. Shumer needs to go independent of his age.

He needs to go. Call your senators.

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The part about the Jubilee show, reminded me of a quote by Bertrand Russell – "The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent full of doubt."

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Due process is supposed to provide a process by which we deport those who are deportable and do not disrupt the lives of those who are not deportable. And once you bypass due process here the next step is Duterte-style, kill 'em all and we'll sort 'em out later.

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Before calling Gaza a concentration camp as a blanket adjective, one should look at the Business Insider video reporting on Gaza before and shortly after 10/7/2023. Lot of economic activity, investment and such. For most people there it appears they were getting on with their lives and actually living in peace with Israel.

Gaza has been a prison where it's harder for a prisoner to get back in, than for that prisoner to leave.

None of which is to justify what is clearly a genocide-project whether whether under the definition based on general slaughter or or the definition based on creating conditions compelling relocation. You don't see Israel even trying to move the Gazan population into the Negev as a "humanitarian" measure for women and children.

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WHY do you think elders won’t understand what’s going on?

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Reminds me of LIz Cheney! Jumping ship after so much destruction and cruelty!

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re Trump Derangement Syndrome, the Soviet Union and later varieties I imagine, had/has an invented mental illness: Slowly Advancing Psychizophrenia. Strangely it attacked such people as abstract painters, consumer activists (or anybody whose nose appeared above the ramparts). They were shut up in psychiatric institutions. So TDS maybe nastier rather than merely stupid.

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It is so sad about the demolishing of Social Security because they want to privatize the program. However, I live in Arizona and work part time in retail and I have seen many elderly people come into our business still wearing MAGA gear. They are totally indoctrinated. They are literally dying of Whiteness and they don't care about the possibility of eating cat food. Sad and shameful!

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Protect voting rights ALL HANDS ON DECK

the Nazis(aka Republicans) will be trying to push through the SAVE act which is estimated to try to disenfranchise 31m voters every year

The SAVE ACT((https://bit.ly/42cHgDE) will require people who are asked to register or re-register to vote (31m do that every year….for various reasons: change address/change county, change name with marriage) will have to prove they are citizens in order to vote

This can be done in 2 ways: 1) proof of birth either by original birth certificate(who has that?) or 2 passport (12% have passports and are usually white and wealthy) What about women who have different last names now? Try to register if you do not have your original birth certificate because marriage licenses, military ID’s etc will not count This is why the Trump regime tried to do away with birthright citizenship

Will you be purged???

The result of the SAVE ACT: Massive drain of the voter rolls

Call your congressperson to vote against the SAVE ACT (202) 224 3121

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Outside the ones who voted for it, the rest of the Democratic senators are not removing Schumer as their minority leader. That means the majority of them are just as complicit as the 9 who voted with Schumer. They are just using those 10 as a shield to hide behind.

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Schumer Traitor!!

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Going against JUDGES!!....what's Next??

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Trump and the congressional GOP should hang for willfully violating the constitution. The question is why any Clinton Democrats have any power in the party. Schumer should be put out to pasture as he is out of touch and delusional.

As for Gaza, I hope all of those Muslims who took a stand and either didn't vote, because Kamala wasn't perfect, or voted for Trump are happy.

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I agree with the first part of your comment fully. On the second part, I share the same frustration, but you cannot blame the Muslims fully. It is not a large enough group to swing an election and Kamala refused to be seen next to a Muslim. In fact she sent Bill Clinton to rub salt on the wounds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y75DdhLzaFI

The real blame for the election is the misinformation, Biden's intransigence, and the low quality of Kamala as a candidate, (she couldn't even do a long interview, the dems preferred a drugged up Biden over her).

But on that Yemeni Imam in particular, who led the support of Trump, he should never be seen in public again.

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I wrote this elsewhere last Saturday: "Well let's break that down chuck.... you are talking to the r's like they are children and they have to exercise more.... this isn't a soccer game.... you want a strong republican party then someone in your party has to show them what strong is and it certainly isn't you, chuck schumer. Why don't you listen to AOC and watch how she broke down why to say no...instead of thinking your opponent, on the other side, is Barry Goldwater. You failed us and 9 other dems as well...my Italian blood wants to curse you but what's the point you did that to yourself"

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I agree with you wholeheartedly but Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps by Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942 by FDR

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