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Co-host or Commentator

Trying to, you know. And now she's posting this one account with all of these. Hope you and your kid get shot. She loves pedophiles. Like this is one account that she is, you know, saying is harassing her or whatever. I mean if it's real or not. I'm, I'm back to my tick tock hearing evidence and she doesn't care. She's trying to paint you as a person who doesn't care. Wasn't empathetic. We all the dust bunnies watched it for homework. We all watched. I thought you were very EMP and and very gentle with her in a way that's appropriate.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

In our follow up call she said that I was fair.

Co-host or Commentator

Yes. And now she's saying I had a corneal ectopic pregnancy, one of the rarest, most dangerous forms of ectopic and it rarely exists. Do you think that she is having to say that it was so rare and all these things because she is continuing to insist that it was at five weeks now my sister's got a lot of kids. There's been a lot of stuff that we've gone through with pregnancies and stuff in my family. I did not think that you even get a doctor's appointment unless you're going through fertility treatments until like 10, 12 weeks. So if she went into the hospital at five weeks it was likely because she was having severe pelvic pain. That's what happens when you have an ectopic pregnancy. It's like having a cyst in your fallopian tubes. It's very, very painful and they'll go check it out for you. But you only really know with a pregnancy test you're pregnant at like four weeks. To be able to go in at five weeks and have it be this advanced is a little new for what I understand timelines of things to be And I think it also is very convenient that she's like, it was five weeks. If it was five weeks, then why did the doctors have such a problem doing this that the heartbeat bill says six weeks. If it had never implanted, why were the doctors so worried about doing this? It wasn't a heartbeat. Like so I think that there's some things that I would love more clarity from the congresswoman on there that don't have to do that are not addressed in her Tik Tok or Instagram response to you. And she says in here responded on Instagram.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

We should probably respond.

Co-host or Commentator

She did. She says it in a clever way here too. You know, journalism, wordsmithing. I was approximately five weeks pregnant. So what does that mean? Over or under?

Tara (Guest Journalist)

I mean, I don't know. I don't want to like play doctor because I don't know what happened. All I know is like I heard that story and maybe selfishly I thought of myself.

Co-host or Commentator

Yeah.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

Because you know, at this, at the age I'm at 38, I, if I got pregnant, it's considered geriatric and there's a very strong chance that I could suffer from something like what happened to Kat. And I'm not the only one. There's so many. And I said to her, I was like, I would be afraid to be in Florida.

Co-host or Commentator

Right.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

If I miscarried.

Co-host or Commentator

Right.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

I would be afraid to be pregnant in Florida or Texas or one of these other states. The thing I wish when I end up at the emergency room, we don't. That I don't have someone else who, who says I, I'm afraid. I don't want to lose my job. Like you're asking those people to risk a lot to save you, to risk their livelihoods.

Co-host or Commentator

And in the cases of doctors who are forced to deliver babies that were born to 12 year old, 11 year old children. This is why a lot of obgyns are leaving the south where these abortion bans exist, which is creating maternal care deserts. There are compl. Even beyond can you get the care you want into not into not just the legals, but do the doctors even exist anymore? Are they leaving because the mental strife of delivering babies that are not viable or are not babies without skulls with severe heterotaxy, different types of issues that can occur during birth and they're being forced to deliver these children and of course there's no care continuum of care for the baby after it's born. So it's, it's just a very disjointed, cruel situation that she is you know, supporting.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

Yeah, I mean, listen, I'm, as a journalist, like, I don't talk about my perspective on this pro life, pro choice. I just, I'm. I'm pro life of people who are alive and women, and I don't want them to die. And like, I also understand many of the pro life arguments in terms of, like, the fetus. And I'm not. You know, I'm a journalist. Like, I listen to both sides, but when I hear a story about a woman who almost died because the law, I mean, that's a. That's a bad. That's a. That's a really powerful story. And I'll leave it to the listeners to decide they can stay exactly where they stand before woman should die with the baby. Like, if that's what they think, then that's fine. And. But I have to at least give you the opportunity to hear that scenario, to know that that happens. It's not my choice to, like, it's not, you know, I'm not trying to push anything on you. Anybody want listen to that? And maybe they're like, you were wrong. And also, people can disagree about my decision to publish, but ultimately, like, I created the Red Letter in pursuit of radical transparency. That is what I want. I got tired of seeing newsrooms compromise for access. That is not what I want to do anymore. And so that you know that that's who I am. And I think we should.

Co-host or Commentator

And I don't think you're never going to get another Republican interview either. I think that that's a very strange thing. That's what I'm saying. I think it's a strange thing. Threaten somebody with. And so my reactions are, as an avid, longtime reader of the Red Letter, he watched it. This was my opinion and my feelings about the situation. And I think you did the right thing publishing it. Even if I didn't like the thing. I don't like everything you write. Sometimes I'm like, damn it, Tara. But. But it's not. It's not because it's not true. It's. It's because it's like, whoa, okay, well, you know, we should know about that one.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

So that's like, we're all different humans and we're like, have perspectives and all of that. But, yeah, I. I mean, this is. Yeah, I. I know. Like, I'm taking flack, too. Like, for people saying she's gonna die. I'm like, I don't want to talk about it. It's not my. I'm not here for pity. I'm not here to be a victim in this situation. I'm just here to correct the record. That's it.

Co-host or Commentator

Also, the root problem with politicians and journalists being threatened with death or harm or danger or harassed goes far beyond airing an. A systemic issue. And it comes from the top. It comes from more likely President Trump or Chuck Schumer, I don't know, name some top Democrat. It comes from top people in positions of political power constantly saying that the other side is delusional, lunatic, crazy, out to kill you. And that type of rhetoric trickles down. And then you have the keyboard warriors who are going to say nutso stuff. And then there are the real threats. But it goes far beyond to blame you for her getting a death threat, I think is just a really odd take given that, like you said, she said that you felt like you handled her very gently and very fairly and you held space for her to tell her story. And she did tell her story. And then you posted the story that she told that she asked to come on your show and tell. Like, yeah, come on.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

Yeah, you know, exactly. I mean, I, again, what can we do? Stand by it. I laid out all of the details of the call. I took notes down to, like, the minute she called me, down to everything. So because I knew this was likely going to be disputed, I was like, okay, let's be. Let's be clear about what is going on here. And I did interview another Republican politician yesterday. Publish. It'll publish tomorrow. Today or Sunday, when we always publish.

Co-host or Commentator

Regardless, it's always Sunday.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

I know Publishing on July 4, too, which is a Sunday.

Co-host or Commentator

So not Thursdays are good news only. And sometimes I get for publishing good news only on a day when we have done something horrible as a country. And I'm like, it's always Thursdays. This is like a. It's a. It's an editorial calendar that comes out that a lot of people look forward to. And it is. They just know when this stuff comes out, it is how it is. It's not intended to, like, mess somebody up or be insensitive.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

Yeah.

Co-host or Commentator

What are you working on now, Tara? We've got like, five minutes left. Anything else that you want to talk about what you got happening?

Tara (Guest Journalist)

It says, oh, tomorrow, Leon Black is going to sit for an interview. I hate the word interview. It bothers me so much. Yeah, because it's not under oath. And he's going for the housing. I mean, he's going before the House Oversight Committee to talk about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a guy who he paid. I believe it was like $300 million. Yeah, $300 million for state and a tax planning. But then the New York Times an incredible deep dive to figure out like he was actually just paying off women that he had met through Epstein. And multiple women have accused him of sexual abuse in civil suits that were dropped or settled. Who knows what happened. He denies all of it. But like this is a man who the FBI has identified in the Epstein files as a potential co conspirator and who gets to sit before Congress in an interview. There is no, there is no penalty for perjury.

Co-host or Commentator

Right. This is the point.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

What is the point? And I challenge Democrats if they win the House to bring back every single person who was able to interview. That includes former presidents Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Leslie Groff, his former. Everybody needs to go back and we need to do this again on camera. The American people deserve to see the real story of the most covered up corruption case of our lifetime. And sorry, I know I'm on my soapbox right now, but radical transparency applies here as well. And it bothers me that Leon Black and all his money, he gets to saunter up to the Hill, put out a public statement and say whatever he wants without any penalty of perjury.

Co-host or Commentator

It's awful. It's. And it's happening there. The Sam Bateman trial is happening in Flagstaff, Arizona where he's being allowed to represent himself and cross examine his former victims. Like our system is broken in so many ways and these are the ways where we can like maybe immediately fix it. Maybe we don't let people who are accused or convicted sex predators be able to put out PR statements or harass their victims or continue to evade responsibility.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

Totally. By the way, I'll be live on the Red letter tomorrow on YouTube and substack talking about all of this, about the I'll do a lead up to the Leon Black trying to get a lawmaker who's in the room. Weirdly, the lawmakers have been less willing to talk about what they saw and heard with like Bill Gates and Leon Black, but they were willing to do with Bondi. And that's kind of like a bit of a thing I don't love right now.

Co-host or Commentator

And I'm wondering why I got you on this. Liz lawyer and I talked yesterday. So Liz lawyer or your lawyer? She had found a new rule has been given to the Department of Justice that gives Todd Blanche the ability to put any federal prisoner in any prison he wants and to essentially they've really relaxed the laws on like how people can be prosecuted. It's how they gave those ICE protesters 50 to 100 year sentences. And they're trying to do this in Minneapolis, too. And I think, like, as much as we want to see stand up against the man or whatever, there are some very real implications here to this idea that Todd Blanche could move you to a federal prison where you're in maximum security, or could move you to a federal prison that is privately run by one of Trump's crony friends, where you could endure death or any other kind of, like, stuff.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

You think that these lawmakers are afraid to talk now because of this?

Co-host or Commentator

I think so. I think that they're probably like, look, we're going to take the midterms, or so they think. And if we wait two years, perhaps we'll have a better chance than continuing to exhau the public on something that won't go as far as it needs to as long as the DOJ is in charge. I think I worry about Galain Maxwell getting a pardon every single day I wake up and that's like, the first thing that I look for. Is she getting a pardon or is she getting, you know, sent back to the UK or whatever's going on? But Todd Blanche being able to put anybody accused of any level of federal crime in prison wherever he wants is certainly something of grave concern right now. So I think that lawmakers are probably trying to not touch the third rail while keeping the train on the tracks until, like, they say if they, if they take the midterms, they get a little bit more power back. And if they take 20, 28, maybe go harder then. But, I mean, I don't know. That's speculating.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

I still don't know how that relates to Bill Gates and Leon Black. Like, they're not. They're not. Todd Blanche, like, tell us what they're saying. You know, I know.

Co-host or Commentator

I don't know. There's. There's just so much shit everywhere. It's, like, the craziest. I'm not looking forward to November and the time we have between now and then. The primary season was brutal, Tara, in political reporting, it was a brutal. The amount of AI crypto money coming in, the amount of infighting in the party, the amount of, like, continued infighting between, like, the Working Families Party and Democratic Socialists and establishment Democrats. I'm like, oh, my God, we're not going to win if you're going to keep fighting with each other and resisting, like, any kind of transfer of power. So we'll see.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

Like, I know you're on the left, but I know you're keeping it real and that's why I always come back for more. So I love that about you.

Co-host or Commentator

Well, I'm obviously on the left. I'm such a, I'm a gay woman. Like what am I going to do? You know what I mean?

Podcast Host (Ad Reader)

Like a.

Co-host or Commentator

Directly. It's a very easy. I also voted for Mitt Romney and John McCain at one point in my life. So like I've been all over the place. So I think it did well because Mitt Romney was promising, he was the most promising candidate for the likelihood of getting gay marriage passed. At that time. Barack Obama was not supporting gay marriage. And folks who were around at that time, if this wasn't your number one issue, you might not have realized that this is the way that it was going. But Mitt Romney had made gay marriage legal in Massachusetts when he was the governor and he was very likely seen amongst the LGBTQ community as the person who would more likely let it happen than at that time. But Obama had taken a stance against it. He of course changed his mind and like, you know, fixed it or whatever. But so yeah, I've been all over the place. I think I'm more issues focused than party focused. But right now the party is completely used. It's completely overtaken by the MAGA thing and the dysfunction and this cover up and corruption and whatnot. So that's why I'm working families party now, you know. Yeah, you do it.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

That's actually really thoughtful reason why, I appreciate, I get why some people are single issue voters. Yeah. And that makes sense to me. I mean it really does. I think a lot of people were single issue voters when they voted for Trump.

Co-host or Commentator

Yeah, well, you know, and folks are like, well they were stupid to do it. But he was saying the things that in, when people don't realize, like we all maybe in the chat here and on the show think about politics every day because it's our special interest and we're little government weirdos. But people, most people just think about it like the day they go in, you see all these like non committed voters who are like, I don't know, I mean, I guess I kind of feel like this today is going to be probably closer or my friend or my husband or my dad said or my mom's voting for. So I will too. It's a sort of more wishy washy thing for most of America.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

So that is interesting.

Co-host or Commentator

It's wishy washy and in these primaries for folks saying Gen Z is saving us and they're getting progressive candidates. And it was the lowest turnout for 18 to 24. The people who are voting right now are 32 to 45 and older. But 32 to 45 had a real strong showing this last time. It's millennials. It's millennials right now who are essentially voting in a very progressive way, which is sort of, you know, has been different in the past. And the voter turnout for Gen z and the 18 to 24 is so low, so low on both sides. And so there's a lot of work to be done there too.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

I mean, it's always been a bit low. The kids, but.

Co-host or Commentator

Yeah, of course.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

Yeah, but they're not really kids anymore, Gen Z. They're grown up.

Co-host or Commentator

They are. Well. And for all the talking they do online, I'm like, did you vote, though? Did you vote, though? Okay, but. Well, that's our time. Tara, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for your radically transparent reporting. You can find Tara at the red letter everywhere, but definitely support her substack and YouTube channel. Lots of great stuff coming out. And don't let anybody lie on our girl. Tara, thank you.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

I appreciate that. And thanks for telling me about the Instagram post. Now I got to respond. Thanks.

Co-host or Commentator

We got a day ahead of us. All right, bye, everyone. Thanks for tuning in.

Tara (Guest Journalist)

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