The Future of the EU
Buck began Friday’s show by taking a close look at the election of the next French president, discussing its status as a political bellwether for the future of the EU. Initially, he focused on the effect of Thursday’s terrorist attack in Paris, this one on the Champs-Elysees, where an assault-rifle wielding gunman shot two police, killing one. Islamic State took credit for the crime shortly afterward.
“This was exactly what we thought it was the moment that it happened,” said Buck. “In fact it’s amazing more people weren’t killed. Clearly this individual did not have any tactical proficiency and was not well-trained in terrorist tradecraft. This is one of those moments where you mourn the loss of an officer, and you think about what could be done to prevent the next one.”
Buck then played a clip of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen discussing her response to the shooting.
“My feeling is that nothing is being done, and that our citizens are not safe,” Le Pen said. “We need a system to fight Islamic fascism and secure our borders.”
“I wonder what she has in mind as far as specifics,” said Buck. “Immigration control can only be one piece of a much larger and more complicated puzzle.”
The Buck: Stumped
Buck then took a number of calls, all of them attempts to Stump the Buck for Action Movie Quote Friday. Buck stumbled out of the gate in this week’s installment, tripped up by a quote from Payback, but deftly rolled into discussion of Mel Gibson’s new film, “Hacksaw Ridge,” “which is pretty good, I hear.”
Movement on Tax Reform?
Buck then brought on New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin, who offered a unique and veteran insight into the latest workings in DC.
The two began by discussing the looming possibility of a government shutdown. Goodwin said there’s something to be feared there.
“I’m not sure anything is going to get done in the short term” to resolve the dispute, “and look, this plays into Democrats’ hands. They want to make the GOP look like they can’t govern. The clock is ticking.”
The two then moved to news from Trump’s office that a tax reform package will be introduced next week, including a tax cut for individuals and businesses.
“Is this going to happen?” asked Buck.
“I’m kind of confused on this,” Goodwin said. “Steve Mnuchin told us nothing would be coming until August. He must have meant they wouldn’t pass it until August. But if they’re releasing it now, you’d think they’d be able to pass it by then. There’s mixed signals,” concluded Goodwin, who added that “the bigger it is, the harder it is to pass. There’s going to be so many objections.”
“Do the corporate tax cut as a standalone,” he suggested. “There’s more agreement that the corporate rate has to be cut. When you get into individual income tax, it’s all the personal exemptions where you run into trouble.”
Cleaning Up MS-13
Next Buck brought on Vince Coglianese, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Caller, who called in to talk immigration following the trip Attorney General Jeff Sessions and DHS Secretary John Kelly recently completed of the nation’s southern border.
“Not only are they trying to get control of the border, they’re trying to get control not just of sanctuary cities but whole sections of the country,” said Coglianese. “There are some truly violent areas of the country, and it’s causing a lot of consternation among communities that live nearby. MS-13 is causing real violence in the United States, and there’s a commitment from the Trump administration to take it on.”
Buck asked about the level of that commitment, and the specifics of policy going forward.
“The changes to the most wanted list addition is one piece of evidence,” said Coglianese. “We give utmost priority to MS-13 gang members right now. The other portion is changing the lax border enforcement of [general illegal immigration], which is what allows these bad actors into the country in the first place.”
Buck asked about the status of DREAMers, in particular searching for clarity on Trump’s comments that recipients of DACA should “rest easy.”
“This is one of those conflicting signals from the Trump administration,” said Vince, “and this is why we need clarity from the White House. Every time we’ve asked, they’ve said, we’ll get back to you. The administration needs to both define their goals specifically, and also be specific about what the timeline is. Let the public know.”
Durk Dynasty
Buck then turned to a Vanity Fair piece about Chelsea Clinton titled, “Please God, Stop Chelsea Clinton From Whatever She’s Doing.”
“She’s done nothing to obtain the title of cool,” said Buck. “She’s done nothing to obtain the title of anything.”
“I don’t know why the Democrats are holding onto this Clinton dynasty thing. They must be looking for the next political dynasty. But unless Michelle Obama tries to run, I don’t see any of that working.”
“Celebrity wins in politics now, I get that,” Buck said. “Obama was a celebrity. He was 80% celebrity, 20% politician. When he ran for president, he did not have an impressive political resume. But he was made into a figure by the media.”
“They’re trying to do that with Chelsea Clinton. But it isn’t working.”
What Socialism Hath Wrought
Finally, Buck brought on filmmaker, Ami Horowitz, whose documentary on migrant violence in Sweden, “Stockholm Syndrome,” went viral.
Since then, he’s been shopping his documentary “What’s Wrong With Socialism?” In it, Horowitz travels to Venezuela to see what havoc the government’s move to socialism has wreaked on the countryside.
Horowitz recounted what went into the documentary’s filming.
“Socialism has taken Venezuela and made it a Malthusian state,” Horowitz said. “It’s practically post-apocalyptic. This is among the most dangerous places I’ve ever been to.” (This coming from the man who traveled to one of the most violent sections of Sweden to film the above.)
“When you first arrive at Caracas International Airport, there’s no lights. Nobody’s home. Then in order to get into the city, they tell you “under no circumstances should you step outside your hotel.’”
“At first blush, things look very normal, until you notice: it’s a country of lines. Supermarkets, drug stores, the lines go block after block after block. And that’s because they’re rationing everything.”
“That’s disturbing enough,” Horowitz continued, “but what’s really disturbing is the violence. We were held up. Robbed, but not harmed in any way.”
Horowitz described watching a man be gunned down, then ignored by a police officer, an incident which was caught on tape.
“Our fixer, the person who guaranteed our safety, she was shot outside of her home after we left. It’s hard to describe the depths this country has sunk to. It really is.”
Horowitz recounted some of the difficult decisions Venezuelans need to make as they slide into poverty and starvation.
“There’s a sense of desperation, an absolute sense of desperation. All the people who were middle class are now in poverty. There were some who described deciding between staying home with their baby or going to stand in line to try to get food at six o clock in the morning.”
Worst of all, Horowitz believes the wrong enemy is being blamed.
“They’ve learned the wrong lesson in Venezuela. You’d think they want less socialism. Instead, they said, we need somebody to take care of us better. And it’s heartbreaking, because they’re never going to fix that kind of attitude.”