Transcript of Whoa! GOP Hearing Backfires as Dems Expose Witnesses

Total chaos broke out during Congressional hearings where MAGA Republicans did not want to focus on the issues that are crushing the American people right now, like affordability, like people are living paycheck to paycheck, being psychologically tortured if they're lucky enough to get a paycheck. Instead, what MAGA Republicans wanted to focus on was fraud in Minnesota, which was largely being prosecuted by the former Biden DOJ with the key architect of that fraud being a white lady who was prosecuted. But this is what MAGA wanted to focus on. Let me be very clear. Fraud needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But the biggest fraudster is the one living in the White House right now, where Mar-a-Lago or wherever the hell he's at. He certainly doesn't know where he's living based on the cognitive decline that we're seeing. I think he thinks that he's living in Imperial Rome as he tries to destroy our country, playing the fiddle like Nero as our country burns. But you'll see, as Democrats completely turn the table on the Magga Republicans during this hearing. And so the Magga Republicans call in their fellow Magga Republican colleagues from Minnesota, mind you, on the very same day that Trump's ICE Gestapo murdered a United States citizen in South Minneapolis.

Let me show you what goes down when Democratic Congress member, Maxwell Frost, is cross-examining the MAGA Republican representatives from Minnesota who were called by the MAGA Republicans in DC to try to propagandize and distract the American people from Trump's cover up of the Epstein files and Donald Trump's cover up of the disastrous economy here that he's caused to 99% of the American people. Watch what goes down here. Play this clip.

That's great. Do you think it's appropriate for the President of the United States to be placed there?

I am not going to engage in the silly condemnation game.

No, no, no. In a context- No, no, no, no, no. This is not silly.

This is the President- What did you have to say about the assassination of Charlie Kerf?

I'll reclaim my time. What did you have I'll reclaim my time. I'll reclaim my time. I'll reclaim my time. I'll reclaim my time. I'll reclaim my time. I'll reclaim my time. I'll reclaim my time. Fantasizing about shooting Republicans. I will reclaim my time. And watching kids die in their mother's arms.

I'm not playing this game in that context.

The gentleman will stop talking on my time. Order, order, order.

Next up, you have Democratic Congresswoman Ansari. Watch as she cross-examines the MAGA Republican state representative from Minnesota, Christine Robbins and others, and says, Can people here raise their hand if you think it's appropriate that Donald Trump is spreading conspiracies that Governor Walls murdered the Hortmans, Melissa Hortman, the former speaker of the House in Minnesota, and her husband? Do you think that's acceptable behavior? None of the Republicans raise their hands to say that they thought it was unacceptable because they are so fearful of upsetting their dear feerer, their dear leader, their head of the Gestapo who's killing citizens in their states. Watch what goes down here, play this clip.

I want to start with this question for the lawmakers here from Minnesota. As you know, Donald Trump has been posting these conspiracy theories about linking Governor Walls to the killing of your former speaker and insinuating that Governor Walls had something to do with it. Can you please raise your hand if you think this is an appropriate action by the President of the United States? Raise your hand, please.

I'm not doing a raise your hand. I'm happy to comment on it. Sure.

Is it appropriate for the President to do that?

The person who murdered our colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Answer the question. Do you think it's appropriate for the President of the United States to cause violence against a sitting governor. Evidence saying he thought Tim Walsh was ordering him to do it. I know the facts will come out in the case, and we need to be respectful of the Hortman family, and we need to let this play out in the courts.

That is unacceptable. It is inappropriate to the highest degree for the President of the United States to be sharing conspiracy theories that are obviously going to lead to violence directed at Governor Tim Walsh.

Next, I'll share with you as Democratic Congresswoman, Presley, also then says, Okay, you want to talk about fraud? Let me show you some examples of fraud. She shows George Santos, for example. Watch this, play this clip.

That is not the standard that is being set by Donald Trump, who is wielding his clemency authority to allow fraudsters to escape accountability altogether. Last month, my office published a clemency report titled Trump's Clemency Gap: How Trump's pardons are ignoring the people who need them the most. I ask unanimous consent to enter this into the record. Thank you. Now, to the witnesses who serve in the Minnesota State Legislature on the Fraud Prevention Committee, let's walk through these pardons for fraudsters, and we all care about fraud. Ms. Robbins, Mr. Hudson, and Ms. Rarek, Donald Trump pardoned George Santos, who defraudded voters and owe them $370,000 in restitution to victims. Race Raise your hand if you oppose this pardon.

Thank you, Mr. Ballou. Ma'am, I would have to look at the law and the facts of the case. We cannot know the facts of all these individual cases.

Don't deflect. This is a very public case. You know who George Santos is. You know exactly what he did. We just agreed that fraud is unacceptable. You just talked about accountability. You said if people commit fraud and exploit the public good, that they should be incarcerated. So this is not a complicated question. So I will give you all one more opportunity. Ms. Robbins, Mr. Hudson, and Ms. Rarick, raise your hand if you oppose the pardon of George Santos.

Not playing this game.

It's not a game. It's real life. It's not a game at all. Okay, but I will take your your refusal to go on record, not only as cowardice, but that you do agree with that pardon of that fraudster. Moving on. Donald Trump also gave, and this has never been done before, presidential pardons to corporations that committed fraud. One example is the crypto company Bitmex that violated US law and was fined $100 million. Now, raise your hand if you oppose Trump's pardon of this crypto company.

Not participating.

Thank you, Mr. Ballou. Okay, again, I'll take your refusal to raise your hand in opposition. That means that you support this pardon of this corporation that frauded folks to the tune of $100 million.

Refusal to participate is not an expression.

Yesterday, yesterday, reclaiming my time, reclaiming my time, reclaiming my time is not an expression one way or the other.

Do you know the rules of committee? This is my time. I know that I am here as a member of the public- Do not speak over me.

Reclaiming my time.

You are not Mr. Chair.

That's what I know.

You are not in order with the rules of the committee. This is my time. This is my time.

That's our dollars.

I ask the questions and you answer, but you're too much of a coward to answer. So we're going to move on.

Now, actually, I should show you that full clip of Congress member, Maxwell Frost, cross-examining these MAGA witnesses. Watch it play this clip.

I have one more thing I want to talk about that Representative Ansari brought up. President Trump reposted conspiracy theories on his truth social account about the murder of Minnesota state legislator Mark and Melissa Hortman that suggests that Minnesota Governor Tim Walsh had the Hortmans assassinated. Governor Walsh says this behavior will get more innocent people killed, and the Hortmen children have come out on the President and called on the President to take the statements down. I think it is very important that we are very clear that we condemn this type of behavior. I just want to go down the line and hear if you agree with the Hortmen children that we should condemn and we ask the President to take down this post. Mr. Bayou?

Yes.

Representative.

As a longest-serving member on this panel in Minnesota, I am so offended that anybody would accuse anybody of the assassination other than Lance Bolter, because this was a deep in the state of Minnesota and all of us personally. I served with Melissa Hortman my entire 13 years. Do you agree? It was just unbelievably beyond the pale.

Do you agree that we were talking about that right now? Do you agree that we should call the President take down the post? That's it.

I said what I said. I think that it's beyond the pale that anybody talk about anyone murdering- Okay, you can't come to call the President take down the post.

That anybody is fascinating Melissa Hortman except for Lanceville. We'll move on. Thank you, ma'am. We'll move on. You can't call the President take down this post. We'll move on to Representative Hudson. It's just a yes or no.

I cannot deceive the committee by giving it a binary. I have spoken to this many times. I have renounced the content of these ridiculous conspiracy theories, and I've called them ridiculous on multiple occasions.

That's great. Do you think it's appropriate for the President of the United States to be placed there?

I am not going to engage In this silly condemnation game- No, no, no.

In a context- No, no, no, no, no. This is not silly. This is the President- What did you have to say about the assassination of Charlie Kerf? I'll reclaim my time. What did you have to say about Jay Jones, who's the chief law enforcement officer in the state of Virginia, fantasizing about shooting I will reclaim my time. The gentleman will stop talking on my time. The gentleman will stop talking on my time. The gentleman will stop talking on my time. Order, order, order.

We'll give you a few seconds to close, Mr. Frost.

I have to comment on this because this is not silly. It is not silly to expect good behavior from the people at the highest levels of our government. Do you expect some K Jones? Not your time. Do you expect some K Jones? Not your time, including the President of the United States.

I yield back. Then you had Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee turned the tables on MAGA Republican James Comer. Watch this.

Just yesterday, Trump also froze approximately $10 billion in funding for programs supporting childcare, social services, grants, and Cash Assistance in not only Minnesota, but in other democratic-led states of California, Colorado, New York, and Illinois. No matter what party we're elected to, we represent the people of our district, Democrat or Republican. We represent as the federal government, all people of all states, irrespect appreciative of how they voted. That's the charge that I took, and I would like and hope that you all would do the same. When so many of these social service programs are being gutted and defunded, fraud becomes even more harmful as that means even less money is going to people who need it. People need these programs. This situation should be an opportunity to take a deep look at the programs and improve their oversight abilities, not an excuse to cut them entirely. If we care about the most vulnerable, if we care about the most marginalized, this is an opportunity to do so. I welcome us to actually do that one day. Thanks, Ayal back.

Ms. Lee, the IGs are hired to identify fraud. They haven't identified fraud. The IGs have failed.

But anyway- You all have failed. No. You all continue to fail. You all have failed. We've done nothing. You have to gobble, Mr. Palmer. We barely do hearings on anything that actually affects change.

You have failed. You have to spend more money for money.

You have power here, and yet you don't do anything.

Yes, he actually initiated this, sir. But thank you so much for your opinion.

You have failed.

I yield it back.

Look at this incredible moment where Democratic Congresswoman, Melanie Stansbury, we think that she's so great. Both her and Congresswoman Lee are amazing. Here's Congresswoman Stansbury torching James Comer. Play this clip.

You all are sitting here running legislation on shower heads while millions of Americans health insurance is expiring, while millions of Americans can't even put food on the table right now. You're over here parading around state officials, demonizing immigrants, talking about cutting basic programs, and you're passing legislation to redefine shower heads in Congress while the President of the United States is illegally invading foreign countries. Order. General ladies, time's expired. I find it appalling and disgusting.

Order. General ladies, times expired. Then the Democratic ranking member of the House Oversight Committee who's been doing an incredible job, Congress member, Garcia. Watch what he says play this clip.

We should fight fraud when people rip off programs designed to help working families. Also, we should fight fraud when large corporations and wealthy individuals dodge their own taxes and rig the system for their own benefit. Especially, we should fight fraud when figures in our government, particularly those in power within the White House or agencies, get rich and profit from their offices. Fraud is never more acceptable, and it undermines public trust whoever commitments it. But let's remember that some of the worst fraud and corruption is actually found at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Republicans like to talk about fraud in states with Democratic governors, oftentimes exclusively. But Republicans also have a President who has pardoned or reduced jail time for 25 criminals convicted of fraud in this year alone. Now, some of these fraudsters have made also huge campaign contributions to Donald Trump. Worst of all, Trump's pardons mean that these criminals can avoid paying back more than $1 billion, which they owe their victims and dwarffs much of the fraud that the House majority wants to talk about today. This is actually the opposite of accountability. Instead, the House majority wants to excuse and cut programs which they have done from the start.

Now, Donald Trump's signature law cut money for health care and food programs. Medicaid and CHIP help almost half the kids in the United States see a doctor. And that we lost, of course, a trillion dollars in those programs. Over 10 million people could lose health care. Trump's law also cut 40 million people who use Snap. This includes, by the way, one out of every five Kids. This is happening not just in Minnesota. The President plans to freeze more than 10 billion for childcare subsidies, social services, and cash support for low-income families in Minnesota, New York, Colorado, Illinois, and my home state of California. Of course, we know these states have Democratic governors that Donald Trump wants to punish. We should look at those consequences if we want to talk about fraud. In Minnesota, which we're talking about today, Donald Trump is removing childcare funding for the entire state. That frozen funding provides childcare for over 18,000 kids. These kids didn't commit fraud. I want to know why they should be punished. Last night, he said he's withholding all possibly Medicaid funds from Minnesota, which could harm one in five residents. Now, in New York, another state he's threatening, that's over 66,000 innocent kids, while pardoning, of course, 25 fraudsters and robbing victims of over $1 billion.

Donald Trump should have to face the kids and parents who will be hurt even though they've done nothing wrong. I want to know what the President and the House majority expect the parents of these kids to do.

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In contrast, you have MAGA Republican Congress member James Comer and the MAGA Republican Republicans calling the Democratic Congresswoman, Presley, Baby. They called her Baby. You had Nancy Mace and others. While Congresswoman Presley was asking questions, started to shout at Congresswoman Presley and say, Just be quiet, baby. Be quiet, baby. The hell is wrong with these MAGA Republicans? Play this clip.

But really, he's just a criminal. So raise your hand if you oppose Trump's pardon of this Minnesota individual This is not grandstanding.

This is not grandstanding. This is not grandstanding. This is accountability. This is what Minnesotans hate about DC.

This is accountability, and you are hypocrites.

So again, I will take your refusal to not go.

Thanks for demonstrating my opening statement.

Mr. Chairman, order decorum. She's off the rails.

Reclaiming my term. I'm not off the rails, please.

You are totally off the rails.

Nancy, off of your troubles. Give me my time back.

Order, Mr. Chairman.

If Republicans were serious, can we clean you?

I didn't want to see you, you were serious, we claimed you were serious.

You were in your time. You were in your time.

You have no time left.

You're over time.

You're out of time.

You're out of time. We're done here.

We're done. We're going to have to talk you in out of time.

At least Mr. Chair, you're out of time.

Tom's expired.

We're still on order and out of time. Ms. Persley, you've already secured your MSNBC spot tonight.

I'm not looking for accountability, and you want to run from the hub.

We're going to be so good on MSNBC. You're going to be so good on MSNBC.

You're going to recognize Ms. Mace.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. She recognizes Ms. Mace. Mr. Chairman, I agree. She's going to be a great host on MS.

This is I wouldn't want to jump in front of Ms..

Mace if I were you, Ms. Presley. I rec claimed my time. This is my time.

I wouldn't want to interrupt Ms. Mace. It's her time. Chair recognizes Ms..

You're out of order. She did not get all of her time.

Mr. Chairman, she's still out of order.

She wants to insult us for 10 more seconds.

What do we have to do to get this woman in order?

Her time is expired.

Chair recognizes Ms. Mace. You're going to be great on TV. You're really good. No, baby, you're not. No, baby, you're not. You are not in order. You're of order. Goodbye. You're done. Mr. Chairman is my third minute. She recognizes Ms. Mace. Are we good here?

Here's how Nancy Mace, the MAGA Republican, wanted to spend her time asking the one normal voice on this panel about whether Somalians who are citizens should be stripped of their citizenship. Play this clip.

First question is this Mr. Balu this afternoon. Should Somalians in Minnesota be required to speak English? English their citizens? Yes or no. Should they be required to speak English if they're American citizens?

I think that question is really inappropriate.

It's not inappropriate. This is United States of America. Do you speak English? Should Americans speak English? Citizens speak English, yes or no?

Point of inquiry, is English the official language of the United States?

It's a question I have to go. Mr. Chairman, I'm being interrupted again by another- That's not a valid parliamentary inquiry. I would like to reclaim my time, Mr. Chairman. Is that a citizenship requirement? Mr. Chairman, I would like to reclaim my time. That seems to be a popular theme today.

That's not a valid inquiry.

It's a point of inquiry. Women have a right to speak in this committee. Conservative women have the right to speak here and not be interrupted by my male colleagues.

Mr..

Chairman's already got said in the I would like to reclaim my time.

I lost 10 seconds there.

Okay, we'll give you 10 seconds.

Okay, my next question is, should Somalians who committed fraud be denaturalized and deported, Mr. Balu? Again, I'm not sure that's an appropriate question because the majority of Somalian Minnesotians are citizens. If you commit fraud in this country and you are here from Somalia, you don't believe they should be denaturalized and deported. How much fraud would it take for you to want to denaturalize and deport someone who committed fraud in this country? How much? Again, this means- A billion, 9 billion, 19 billion. What would it take for you? Most Somalian Minnesotans are citizens.

Then you had Tom Emmer, the MAGA Republican Congress member from from Minnesota, who celebrates the fact that Donald Trump has revoked billions of dollars in childcare services, billions of dollars in other essential services for the state of Minnesota. Great job, congressman, throwing your own damn state under the bus, you despicable, grotesque. I could just go on. I'll stop with the inhomeneate attacks and just focus more on the clips. I apologize. Sometimes I get so angry from these people. But Tom Emmer says, Have you all seen on X, all the whistleblowers on X, the whistleblowers on Elon Musk's bot infested platform. Okay, Emmer, play this clip. Mr. Emmer.

Thank you, Chairman Komer, for holding this important hearing. As I said on Monday, good riddance to Governor Walls, but he cannot escape accountability for the estimated $9 billion in fraud. How did this happen? And where the hell has the Twin Cities media been? The Star Tribune is complicit. They have had this story for years, if you've just heard, and they've refused to report anything on it. In fact, they continue to try and cover up. Our Minnesota Republican colleagues have demanded answers and accountability for years but have seen nothing from Walls His Administration, our Democrat colleagues like Tina Smith, Amy Klobeschar, Ilhan Omar, and Angie Craig, or the worthless Star Tribune. Thank God for President Donald J. Trump for finally bringing attention to this issue. Representative Representative Rarek, I'm going to begin with you. You've been working on this issue for years. You've spoken to the whistleblowers personally. Is that correct? That is correct. You have an understanding that 1,000 whistleblowers running an account on X have come forward to expose fraud in Minnesota state agencies, and they have been entirely ignored by Tim Walls and have even been retaliated against. Is that accurate?

That is correct. Even this morning, I got another message.

Well, in your experience, are their claims credible or are they politically motivated against Walls?

They're completely credible, not politically motivated.

Now, back to the Democrats, Congress member McGovern taking the floor, and here's what he had to say.

Republicans found the time to illegally slap Donald Trump's name onto the Kennedy Center, defacing a memorial to a great President in a single day, 24 hours, 24 hours. But a legally required honor for the officers who defended this democracy, I mean, five years of excuses, five years of delay, five years of cowardness and disrespect to law enforcement by Republicans. When all is said and done, history will not look kindly on these Trump Americans and this Republican majority, and they all know it. They all know it. At this point, let me say to my Republican friends, it is always the right time to do the decent thing, the thing the law requires, which is to hang the plaque honoring these brave men and women who put their lives on the line to defend us, to defend this building, and to defend this democracy. Mr. Speaker, I ask you unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the record, along with any extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question. Without objection. I reserve the balance of my time.

More from Congress member McGovern right here. Here's what he had to say as well.

Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I'm going offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H. Conres 33, which calls for the plaque honoring the brave police officers that defended this capital and our democracy on January sixth to be put up in the capital as required by law, as required by law. Mr. Speaker, I am sick and tired of Republicans standing up and proclaiming their unwavering support for law enforcement when they won't even honor the law enforcement that that saved them, that saved us and our democracy here on January sixth. Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of the January sixth attack on the Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump. Over 140 officers were injured. An officer was killed. Others died by suicide following the trauma of that day. Do you know how the White House marked this anniversary? Do you know how the White House marked this anniversary? They marked it by putting up an Orwellian web page, rewriting history, and claiming it is the officers who were to blame for the violence. How disgusting, how despicable, how disgraceful. I asked my Republican colleagues, Do you really believe that crap? When you look in the eyes of the Capitol police that guard this building, do you accuse them of being responsible for the violence of that day?

How dare the President of the United States say such a thing, and how shameful of this Republican majority to stay silent in the face of this depravity and rewriting of history.

Folks, I just think the contrast there that I shared with you between the Democrats and these magas are night and day. Night and day. At the end of the day, what I just want to see is people fighting for the American people. I I want to see people focusing on housing, housing, housing. People can't afford homes right now. People can't afford their rent right now. People are psychologically tortured if they're lucky enough to get a paycheck, living paycheck to paycheck in this country. Donald Trump's out there threatening to invade Greenland and every country in the Western hemisphere. He's got his Gestapo, his SS forces on the street, murdering US citizens to try to intimidate, harass, and distract from a MAGA Republican cover up of a child sex trafficking ring. How utterly, utterly despicable. We'll cover it every step of the way here on the Midas Touch Network. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million. We appreciate you.

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